After the Storm
by Inksaber
Summary: Takes place immediately after the Mortis arc. Haunted by what happened to his Padawan on the mystical world of Mortis, Anakin resolves to keep her from harm. But after hearing about these strange events, Darth Sidious wants Ahsoka... alive. My first fic!
1. Chapter 1

Anakin Skywalker was relieved when the shuttle finally landed in the hangar of the Jedi Cruiser. Captain Rex was waiting when the three Jedi exited the shuttle.

"General, the Jedi Council would like a report on your... mission."

Anakin was pretty sure he knew why Rex had hesitated. To the clone, the mission had maybe lasted an hour. To Anakin, it had been two crazy days . He didn't understand what had happened on Mortis. How had no time passed in the time that they were there? He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about Mortis at all.

Obi-Wan was speaking and Anakin wrenched his attention back to the conversation.

"Of course, Captain. Tell the crew to set a course for Coruscant."

Anakin groaned inwardly at the thought of having to relieve the situation to the Council, even if it was just summing up everything to a bunch of holograms.

"I'll catch up," he said. "I just want to... check on something."

Obi-Wan gave him an odd look, but nodded and he and Ahsoka headed for the bridge.

Anakin looked around for something to do. He needed to clear his mind of the thoughts circulating through his head. His eyes fell on a familiar blue and white astromech droid repairing a starfighter.

"Hey, Artoo," he said. "Do you need any help?"

R2-D2 whistled a reply. Anakin had been paired with

the droid long enough to roughly understand him and took that as a yes.

Fixing things had always distracted Anakin, but as he grabbed a servodriver and slid under the starfighter, he found himself wondering the same things he had all day.

_ Am I really the Chosen One? Why did Mortis disappear when the Father died? Why did the Daughter give her life for Ahsoka? Why did Ahsoka turn to the _d_ark _side_ in the first place? What _was_ Mortis?_ And so much more.

"Hi, Artoo."

That was Ahsoka. Anakin pushed himself out from under the fighter. "What are you doing here, Ahsoka?"

"Master Kenobi sent me to check on- uhh- to tell you we are in hyperspace."

Anakin glanced at her sceptically. Add that to his list of questions. _Why are Obi-Wan and Ahsoka acting so strange?_

"We'll be arriving on Coruscant soon," she added.

Anakin shook his head. "Well, so long as you're here, you can help me fix this starfighter. Hand me that hydrospanner, will you?"

Obi-Wan quickly informed the Jedi Masters what had happened on Mortis. Anakin hadn't wanted Ahsoka to know she had turned to the dark side, so Obi-Wan sent her away. Anakin didn't remember that he, too, had briefly turned to the dark side, so Obi-Wan was the only one with access to all the memories.

There was a shocked silence when he finished.

"Need your full report we will, when arrive on Coruscant, you do," the hologram of Master Yoda said gravely.

Obi-Wan nodded and ended the transmission. He knew what Yoda meant. He wanted to hear what had happened from Anakin. That probably wouldn't go over well with his friend. He sighed and stared out at the swirling realm that was hyperspace, lost in thought. A lot had happened on Mortis, and the weight of it all had settled upon him.

Anakin had shown his true power, power that was growing all the time. He had saved Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, controlling two of the most powerful Force wielders in the galaxy with ease. And then there was the problem with the visions.

Somehow, Anakin had seen the future, what would happen at the end of the Clone Wars.

_You will not understand what I will have to do to end the Clone War, _Anakin had said. _I have seen that it is the Jedi who will stand in the way of peace._ Something big would happen, but what? Whatever it was, Anakin had turned to the dark side to get away from it. Obi-Wan had a feeling that a surprise awaited them all.


	2. The Warning

Anakin spent the whole flight back to Coruscant in the hangar. When he felt the ship land, he hurried out without waiting for Ahsoka, who had gone back up to the bridge or Obi-Wan.

He frowned as he noticed his surroundings. This wasn't Coruscant! The landscape was lush and green, unlike the dreary grey buildings that covered Coruscant. It kind of reminded him of Mortis...

Suddenly, the landscape wilted and the dark side approached in the form of a hooded figure.

"Who are you," Anakin demanded. "Where am I?"

"That is not important," the man hissed.

Anakin went for his lightsaber, intending to force the information out of the man, but to his surprise, it was gone.

"Looking for this?" The man smirked, holding out Anakin's lightsaber.

"How did you...?"

The man cut him off. "Anakin Skywalker. The Hero With no Fear. That name is a joke. You have more fear than most Jedi. You fear loss, fear itself. Yet, you keep your fear hidden, as it its an emotion, among many, that Jedi are not supposed to feel."

Anakin swallowed against the bad feeling rising in his throat. Those words rang true. But how did this stranger know?

"And among the Jedi, you are known as the Chosen One, the one who will bring balance to the Force and save the galaxy. But how will you save the galaxy if you cannot save your Padawan?"

The man waved a hand and the gathering mist cleared to reveal Ahsoka. She lay on the ground, deathly pale and she did not move.

For an instance, Anakin was back on Mortis, watching Ahsoka crumple to the ground, lifeless. He snapped back to the presence."What have you done to her?" Anakin raced toward her but before he could reach her, Ahsoka faded away.

Anakin spun around to face the man, alarmed.

"You've been too late before," the man said. "You will not be able to save her twice."

"Believe me, I know," Anakin said, still not understanding what was happening.

"This is you're only warning, Skywalker," the man hissed. "Fate frowned upon the girl the day you took her as your Padawan. If you continue to train her, Ahsoka Tano will not live to become a Jedi Knight."

With that, the mysterious man vanished and the landscape grew darker and darker...

Anakin jerked upright on his bed, gasping. He glanced around and his breathing slowed and sighed in relief. He was in his quarters in the Jedi Temple.

It had only been a dream. That may have been comforting, except the last time he had a dream as terrifying as that, it had come true. His mother had died.

Suddenly, there was a knock at his door. "Master, the Council has called for us," Ahsoka said.

Now everything came back to Anakin. They had arrived on Coruscant at a late hour and the Council had called off the meeting until the next day. Anakin had been so tired, he had fallen asleep fully dressed.

He exited his quarters and fell into step beside Ahsoka and without appearing to, he gave her a once-over. Her skin was a healthy orange and her eyes were as bright as ever.

_Was my dream a warning, or just a dream?_ Anakin wondered. It was understandable if it was a dream, he was still haunted by her close call on Mortis. But if it was a warning... He would not let what he saw come true.

Ahsoka pretended not to notice the concerned looks her Master was throwing at her, but eventually she got fed up with them. She stopped walking and faced him.

"OK, Master. Whats is it?"

"What is what?"

Ahsoka knew faked innocence when she saw it. "You've been looking at me like I'm on my deathbed."

For some reason, those word shook him up, his friendly composure wavered slightly, but held.

"You're seeing things, Ahsoka," Anakin said in a tone that meant 'drop the subject.'

Ahsoka took the hint. _What are you keeping from me?_ She wondered, frustrated. She knew something had happened to her on Mortis, something big. But she couldn't remember, and Anakin refused to tell her.

For not the first time, Ahsoka didn't like having such a secretive Master.


	3. Discussions

**Thanks so much for the reviews!**

The Jedi Council sat waiting for Anakin and his Padawan. If Obi-Wan knew Anakin, which he did, he would be a few minutes late. For once, Obi-Wan was relieved about this, as it gave him time to argue on his friend's behalf.

"Don't make him relieve the story to the whole Council," he pleaded again. "I was there for most of the duel, I saw things that he didn't, let my word be good enough."

Mace Windu froze him with an icy look. "Skywalker may know more about these Force-users then you do, Kenobi. We need to understand what happened on Mortis as best as possible."

Obi-Wan sighed. "He doesn't remember he turned to the dark side. I don't know why he turned, but from what he told me... he saw the future. I have a feeling that the Clone Wars is going to end badly for the Republic." _I have seen that it is the Jedi who will stand in the way of peace..._

"Always in motion is the future," Yoda said disapprovingly. "Jump into things without thinking, Skywalker does. Put him in grave danger, this tendency may."

"What of Padawan Tano?" Plo Koon asked.

"Ahsoka... is fine, in a sense," Obi-Wan replied. "But as Anakin refuses to tell her that she turned to the dark side, even if it was against her will. This may cause problems between them in the future."

"Hmmm." Yoda closed his eyes. "Sense I do, that Padawan Tano will find out... from another, dangerous, source."

_A dangerous source? What does Yoda mean? _Obi-Wan kept quiet, he knew Yoda wouldn't know. The dark side clouded everything.

"And what of you, Master Kenobi?" Adi Gallia asked. "What have you to report of your time on Mortis?"

Obi-Wan paused, what he was about to tell the Council would sound completely crazy. "I saw-"

He was spared answering by the door sliding open and Anakin and Ahsoka walking in. He hid a smile- they were arguing, as usual.

"Come on, Master, _I _got the starfighter working," Ahsoka argued. "_You_ put that wrong wire in, not me."

"Is that so?" Anakin replied. "Then why did I see you attach the _red_ wire to the _yellow_ one?"

"If you are quite finished, we do have better things to do then listen to you two bicker," Obi-Wan cut in before Ahsoka could snap back.

Anakin and Ahsoka flushed and bowed to the Jedi Council.

"Skywalker, interesting, you're experiences on Mortis were," Yoda said.

Obi-Wan saw Anakin tense, waiting for the questioning to begin.

"While further insight we will need on your time spent there, wait for another time, it must," Yoda continued.

Obi-Wan sighed in relief and heard Anakin do the same.

"Heard of the planet Gavern, have you?" Yoda asked.

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied. "The people of Gavern create weapons for the republic."

"Yes, Skywalker," Mace said. "We have reports of a separatist super-weapon being built secretly on Gavern."

"But Master," Anakin said. "The separatists have so many planets on which to build a super-weapon. Why sneak on to a republic world?"

"A special substance in Gavern's soil there is," Yoda explained. "Contains a liquid used normally for poisons, it does. Found no where else it is."

"We will leave right away, Masters," Anakin said.

"You are dismissed," Mace Windu announced.

Anakin and Ahsoka bowed again and left the Council Chambers.

Obi-Wan leaned back in his seat. He felt he had gotten a lot accomplished, but he was getting a feeling that the simple mission to Gavern wasn't going to be that simple...

"Well," Anakin said as he and Ahsoka walked back down the hall. "That was probably the shortest Council meeting I have ever attended... not that I'm complaining," he added hastily after seeing Ahsoka's look.

"Gavern sounds like a routine mission," Ahsoka said with a sigh.

Anakin wasn't so sure. "If there is a possible super-weapon involved, are you sure you want to come?"

Ahsoka gave him an incredulous look. "Are you kidding, Master? Super-weapons are my speciality. Remember the Malevolence? Remember the Defoliator? Remember the-?"

Anakin cut her off. "_I_ destroyed both of those. I was just saying, it may be dangerous."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "I'm not a _youngling_, Master. I can take care of myself."

Anakin was about to reply when a Padawan ran up. "Master Skywalker, the Chancellor requests your presence."

"Thank you," Anakin told the Padawan. He glanced back at Ahsoka and sighed "Get the men together. We'll leave when I return."

Ahsoka nodded and ran off, the other Padawan trailing behind.

Anakin pressed a hand to his forehead. _I'm not being fair to Ahsoka,_ he thought. But he couldn't stop thinking about his dream. _You will not be able to save her twice..._

Anakin shook his head and headed for the Senate building.

**I apologise for the abrupt ending, but I couldn't think of a better way to end it. Please review!**


	4. A New Threat

**Thanks for all the reviews! I honestly thought this story wasn't going to get any!**

Darth Sidious, also known as Chancellor Palpatine, reclined in his chair, thinking about the very interesting conversation he has just had with the fools on the Jedi Council. The Chosen One and his friends, whisked onto a Force-sensitive planet. Something about a Padawan turning to the dark side, but that didn't really interest Sidious. It was only a Padawan.

What _really_ interested Sidious was Anakin and the test he'd taken.

Phrases like a_stonishing display of Force abilities, _and_ controlling the most powerful beings in the galaxy,_ floated through his head.

Control.

Control was something Sidious sought out over all other things. To control the galaxy, and all the beings in it. But to control like that...

Suddenly Sidious felt a familiar Force signature, mostly light, but stained with darkness. The door opened and one of his aides ushered Anakin inside Sidious's office. The young Jedi bowed.

"You're Excellency."

"Hello, Anakin," Sidious said, letting a smile come to his face.

"Chancellor, I don't have much time," Anakin said. "My troops are preparing to leave for our next mission as we speak."

"Of course, my boy, this won't take long," Sidious replied. "I heard from the Jedi Council what happened on you're last mission, but I wanted to hear it from you. What happened between you and you're apprentice?" Sidious waited for his reaction to the one thing he knew Anakin wouldn't want to talk about.

A series of expressions marched across Anakin's face and he hesitated. Finally, he began to speak.

Sidious listened politely as Anakin described how his Padawan had fallen under a spell of the dark side and how he fought her. However, when Anakin told of how the personification of the dark side, or the Son, snuffed out his Padawan's life with a touch to the forehead, he had Sidious's full attention.

_But, from what I've heard, she's perfectly fine! _Sidious managed to keep his expression neutral. "And?" He prompted Anakin, now eager to hear the rest.

When Anakin explained how the dying personification of the light side, or the Daughter used Anakin to channel her own life force into Ahsoka, Sidious almost leaped out of his seat in very un-Chancellor like behaviour.

_It _is_ possible,_ he thought._ I've heard of saving people from death. But bringing someone back to life? And by someone that powerful? _A though crept into his mind, but he shoved it aside.

Sidious focused again on Anakin who was staring out the window at the millions of speeders. "She doesn't remember anything," Anakin concluded. "I'd like to keep it that way. Its bad enough that I remember."

Sidious felt the young Jedi's rage toward the Son just thinking about that day. This was good. If Sidious could train him to _use_ that anger, he would make a very good apprentice. But until then...

"You did well, Anakin," Sidious told him. "Bringing someone back to life- that's unheard of."

Anakin gave him a weak smile. "Bringing someone back to life means they have to be dead in the first place. I don't ever want to go though that again." He checked the time. "I have to go. Goodbye, Chancellor."

Sidious had one more question for him. "Anakin?"

Anakin paused at the door.

"If you could go back to that day... would you kill the Son again?"

Anakin's eyes flashed as he answered. "Yes." And with that, he was gone.

Sidious immediately dropped the smile and kindly manner and let the thoughts into his mind, Anakin and the test forgotten.

The girl had been brought back to life.

The girl had been brought back to life by an extremely powerful being.

If the Daughter had somehow channelled some of her Force power into Ahsoka, she could possibly be a threat. And all threats needed to be eliminated.

Sidious reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a holoprojector. An image of Count Dooku flickered in to view and immediately sank to his knees.

"Lord Tyrannus, I have discovered someone who could possibly be a danger to our goals." Sidious said. He quickly explained his findings. "Tano must be eliminated."

"Milord," Tyrannus began. "Do you really think this... _child_ could be a threat?"

"She was trained well by Skywalker," Sidious reminded him. "And she may have power greater than some of the fools on the Jedi Council."

Tyrannus seemed to be pondering this. "Master, if she was trained by Skywalker, would she maybe have the same traits he has? Could she possibly be turned?"

"Hmm." Sidious turned this over in his mind. "Yes. _Yes_. She would make a nice replacement for your last assassin. If she cannot be turned, she will make nice bait for Skywalker's fall." He turned to face Tyrannus's hologram. "Skywalker and his Padawan are headed for Gavern. Send someone to... meet them there."

**In the next chapter, Anakin and Ahsoka land on Gavern and find out truth about the superweapon...**


	5. The Superweapon

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**I do not own Star Wars.**

The Jedi Cruiser made it through the republic blockade and down to the surface of Gavern.

Anakin turned to Ahsoka as they were getting ready to leave the cruiser. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here?" He couldn't help asking.

She flashed him a grin. "And let you have all the fun?"

Anakin shook his head. "Fine, but stay close to me."

Ahsoka glared at him.

The world of Gavern was green and beautiful. The natives of Gavern were human, but they had longer lifespans than the average human.

Anakin couldn't help but think Gavern looked like the landscape he had seen in his dream.

A clone scout ran up to the Jedi. "Sir," he said. "There is a building up ahead. Its a separatist factory by the looks of it."

_So, the reports were right,_ Anakin thought. "OK, men," he said to his troops. "Keep your blasters set to kill and stay alert. We don't know what the separatists are up to."

The Jedi and clones neared the building. Anakin saw droid patrols stationed around the enormous black building.

_The separatists must have been planning this for a while,_ Anakin thought. _Buildings of this size don't go up overnight._

They may have had the element of surprise if Ahsoka hadn't stepped on a branch. The _crack_ echoed around the area and one of the droids spotted them.

"Look, Jedi!" it shouted.

"Fire!" ordered another.

The clearing around the factory erupted in blasterfire.

"Rex, call in the reinforcements," Anakin ordered. "We have got to destroy this factory!"

The air grew thick with smoke and Anakin soon had to rely completely on the Force to tell where the next shot was going to come from.

_I thought the separatists were making super-weapons, _Anakin mused. _But all that is here are a bunch of battle droids._

The droids kept coming. Anakin was growing tired, but he set his exhaustion aside and kept fighting. He felt clones dying around him by the dozen and the ground was littered with droid parts.

He swung his lightsaber up to block a shot that was headed for Ahsoka's head. "Please, try to stay alive at least until reinforcements arrive," he called to her. "I'm getting tired of having to save your skin."

Ahsoka grinned at him and it felt like old times- until what he had said sunk in. Anakin turned away and the fighting resumed.

Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead. Anakin glanced up, expecting to see the reinforcements, but what he saw was not backup.

Several vulture droids were engaged in combat with republic gunships, but what he saw was a lone hyena bomber, sending something spiralling down towards them.

_Bomb, _Anakin thought in alarm. "Everyone down," he shouted to his men.

The clones threw themselves out of the way as the object slammed into the ground. It was a large sphere-like object, with the separatist symbol on the side.

_That doesn't look like a bomb, _Anakin thought, just as it sent out a huge pulse.

Immediately, the clones blasters malfunctioned and Anakin and Ahsoka's lightsabers deactivated.

The Jedi and clones stared in shock as the air cleared. Anakin was almost unaware that his lightsaber had fallen out out his hand, and received another shock when he tried to pick it up and discovered that his right hand, his mechanical one, wasn't working.

The droids raised their blasters and began firing again- their weapons obviously worked fine.

"What happened!" shouted Ahsoka, running up beside Anakin.

"Apparently the separatists have a new toy," Anakin replied, staring at his useless right arm. The pulse had obviously been created using the substance in Gavern's soil. Anakin figured that mixed with another chemical, it could create a pulse strong enough to render the republic's weapons useless, but leave the separatist weapons intact.

Anakin sincerely hoped it was temporary.

"Fall back!" he yelled to his remaining troops.

The clones obeyed, scrambling back to the gunships. Anakin snatched up his lightsaber and he and Ahsoka followed.

"Well, that changes our plans," Anakin said when they were in the relative safety of the defenceless gunship. "A forward assault won't work. We'll have to find another way to destroy the factory."

The gunships set the troops down several kilometres away from the factory.

"Master," Ahsoka said. "I think I have an idea on how to destroy the factory." When Anakin nodded, she continued. "The droids won't be expecting us to attack so soon, not when we have no weapons. If someone can sneak past the patrols with a pack of charges and locate the reactor room, they can blow up to the factory from the inside out."

"Good idea, Ahsoka," Anakin said approvingly. "I'll leave right away."

He saw her frown. "Master, you only have one good arm and I can fit in places you can't. Let _me _go."

Anakin stared at her. "You're kidding. There is no way that I'm letting you go into droid-infested territory defenceless and alone. Rex can do it, then."

"We have the best chance of completing the mission if I do this." Ahsoka said. "If this weapon makes it off world, it could wipe out the republic military."

"No."

Ahsoka raised an eyemark. "Do you not trust me enough to do this?"

"It isn't that..." Or was it? _I don't trust you not to get yourself killed..._

Anakin sighed. "Please trust that I'm doing this for a reason." He silently pleaded with her to understand.

No such luck. Instead, he received a flat stare that plainly said: _If you don't trust me, why should I trust you?_

Anakin watched in exasperation as Ahsoka walked away from him. Half of him wanted to go after her and tell her everything, the other half wanted to go inform Rex about the mission. He chose the easier option.

It took him a while to find Rex in the mess of clones and gunships. He finally found the clone captain trying to fix his blaster.

"Rex, I- actually, Ahsoka- had an idea of how to blow up the factory," he announced.

Rex looked up. "Yes, sir, I know. Commander Tano already told me."

So, Ahsoka had been here already. "Do you know where Ahsoka is now?" Anakin tried to keep his voice causal.

Rex gave him a quizzical look. "Sir, you sent her to destroy the factory, remember? She left on a speeder bike a few minutes ago."

Anakin closed his eyes in frustration. Go figure that Ahsoka would do the exact _opposite _of what he told her to do.

"General?"

Anakin glanced at Rex. "I'm fine, captain."

But he knew a Padawan that wasn't _going_ to be fine...

**Please review! I think you can guess what is going to happen next time...**


	6. Rise and Fall

**Thanks for the reviews! I am sorry about the italics problem, it will be cleared up soon.**

Ahsoka navigated the speeder bike through the tangle of trees and plants that made up the landscape around the factory.

When the separatist building was in sight, Ahsoka leaped off the bike and braced herself for what was to come.

_If the droids don't kill me, my Master will, _she thought. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._

Ahsoka couldn't back out now. Shouldering a pack of charges, she crept closer to the two battle droids that were guarding an air vent in the wall.

_There's my way in. _

"Too bad we got stuck with the most boring post in the droid army," the first one complained.

"At least there aren't any Jedi around here," the second one said.

Ahsoka used the Force to slam both droids into the wall, reducing them to scrap. The sound of metal against metal echoed around the clearing.

Ahsoka winced and glanced around quickly. To her relief, no droids were close enough to have heard it.

_But I won't get lucky twice..._

Ahsoka pulled the grate off the opening and slithered inside. Immediately, the sound of machinery reached her and she felt a steady blast of air against her. It was so cramped she could barely crawl.

_Rex and my Master would never fit in here._

Every few meters, there was an opening and Ahsoka could see into each room. Some had large canisters labelled 'Fondorian Extract.' Ahsoka knew from her studies at the Jedi Temple that Fondorian Extract was a type of gas used mostly for heating homes, but she was guessing that this and the liquid of Gavern had something to do with that weapon disabling pulse they had experienced earlier.

Most of the other rooms had nothing that interested her, but the sound of non-droid voices coming from ahead made Ahsoka stop and peer cautiously into the next room.

A twitchy Neimoidian was speaking. "My Lord, we cannot possibly deliver the capsules of the Virdix to all the separatist systems. There isn't enough Virdix in all of Gavern to-"

_Virdix_, Ahsoka thought,_ that must be the name of the substance in Gavern's soil._

The hologram he was speaking to interrupted, and Ahsoka had to strain to hear what the voice was saying.

"I am sure you will be able to... consequences... we cannot allow... republic... victory..."

The speaker's voice was soft and menacing. It didn't sound like Dooku to Ahsoka. In fact, Ahsoka thought it sounded rather like Chancellor Palpatine.

_That's ridiculous_, Ahsoka scolded herself.

The Neimoidian's green skin paled. "Y-yes, my lord." He turned to the tactical droid standing beside him. "Tell the droids to begin loading the Virdix onto the transport." To the shadowy hologram, he said, "There are more shipments of the Virdix ready to be mixed with the Fondorian extract from Fondor's underground steam tubes."

"Good," said the figure. "Contact me when you are off-planet..." the transmission cut out.

Ahsoka sucked in a breath. They were using more and more of the Virdix in the weapon, and had plans to deliver the weapon across the galaxy.

_My Master needs to hear this. _Her finger hovered over her comlink as she remembered that she was slightly in trouble.

She had a new idea.

Ahsoka waited until the Neimoidian left with the tactical droid, then leaped out of the vent and stole after them.

Staying in the shadows, Ahsoka followed them to the hangar. Several battle droids were carrying boxes onto a small Trade Federation freighter.

"Don't drop that," a battle droid warned. "If that Virdix gets mixed with the Fondorian Extract before hits its target..."

For once, Ahsoka was glad for her studies in the Jedi Temple. She crept to the ship and slid underneath to where she knew the fuel tanks were located and pulled the charges out of her pack, latching as many as she could to the exposed fuel tanks.

Ahsoka programmed the charges to explode when she pressed a button on her comm, and slid out from under the ship.

_OK. Get out of here without being seen, then blow up the ship. If I'm lucky, the blast will be big enough to send this place sky-high._

"Hey!" A battle droid yelled. "Who are you?"

"Jedi!" shouted three others.

Ahsoka leaped out of the way just as several blaster bolts slammed into the wall where her head had been. She pulled out her lightsaber and hit the activator button so hard she was slightly surprised it didn't shatter. Nothing happened. She ducked again and rolled out of the droids' line of fire.

An ear-piercing alarm went off throughout the building as Ahsoka raced for the door. It slid open and she skidded through it, expecting to see the outdoors. Instead, she found herself in another corridor. And just her luck- it was crowded with battle droids.

"This is hardly a fair fight!" Ahsoka yelled. She Force-pushed the droids twenty feet backwards.

Behind her, more droids entered the corridor.

"Blast her!"

The droids all raised their weapons.

There was no way Ahsoka could fight that many droids without her lightsaber. She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.

The droids weren't buying it.

Ahsoka closed her eyes and made a decision.

"Fire!" screeched the commander.

_Fire._

Ahsoka raised her comm and detonated the charges. The ship exploded. The factory went up in flames.

**I have discovered cliffhangers. Don't kill me!**


	7. Unusual Alliance

**Thanks for the reviews, this story now has over thirty!**

Ahsoka awoke to see fire just feet from her face. She scrambled to her feet and regretted it when a searing pain shot through her left leg.

_Well, this is better than being blasted by twenty battle droids... I think._

She had been thrown against a wall in the explosion knocking her briefly unconscious. She must have hurt her leg then.

"Great, now what?" Ahsoka stared at the flames, which were creeping closer every second. She couldn't Force-leap over them, not with her leg like it was.

A_t least things can't get any worse._

Just then, a chunk of the ceiling high above her gave way and tumbled down toward her.

Ahsoka had a split second to decide. Should she stay put and hope it missed her or take her chances with the fire?

She dove forward into the flames, hoping desperately that the wall of fire was only a few feet wide. There was a flash of blinding, unbearable heat and then she was sprawled on the other side.

_I'm alive! _She looked around and saw that she was in a large machinery room. Ahsoka assumed that this equipment was used for combining the two chemicals to make the super-weapon.

"Roger roger. Roger roger."

Ahsoka glanced up to see a battle droid stumbling amidst the equipment. "Roger roger. Finding data. Roger roger."

She leaped forward and wrenched the blaster from the droid's grip, then pressed it to its head. "One move and I'll blow you from here to Coruscant!" Actually, she was tempted to do that anyways.

"Don't shoot!" the droid screeched, trying to get away. It was a lot stronger than she had anticipated; she had never held a droid captive before. "Roger roger! Roger roger!" It then started mumbling unintelligibly.

This droid seemed to have a screw loose.

_I can take advantage of this._

"OK," Ahsoka said. "This place is falling in around us, soon the fire will consume us and without my help, you will be melted slowly into fried circuits. I am willing to form a temporary alliance- just until we get out of here." She briefly wondered if the droid was too stupid to understand what she said.

"Roger roger. I am 448 of the separat-"

Ahsoka sighed. This droid reminded her slightly of the protocol droid C-3PO. "Come on."

She dragged the battle droid to the exit and pressed the button to open the door, but the controls weren't working. "Great. Could this day get any worse?"

A blaster bolt whizzed past her and smashed into the control panel. Ahsoka spun around to see 448 holding a smoking blaster.

"Are you brainless?" Ahsoka demanded, then remembered she was talking to a droid. "Now we have no chance of getting it open!"

"You should be glad that was not your _head,"_ 448 grumbled.

_A battle droid with a sense of humour? This one is _really_ malfunctioning_

"Give me that!" Ahsoka snatched the blaster and studied it. She set it on high power and hoped what she was going to do wasn't going to get them killed- and destroyed.

Ahsoka aimed the blaster at the crumbling wall above the door and fired. The whole room shook with the blast, but only the wall came down, leaving a hole about ten feet above the ground.

"I can't jump up there!" 448 said, sounding as panicky as a droid could sound.

Ahsoka considered breaking her alliance and deserting the battle droid, then shook her head. She had already sunk as low as to make deals with the enemy, why not save its metal skin as well?

_If my Master could see me now..._

Ahsoka used the Force to levitate the droid through the hole, then dropped it ten feet straight down, just for the fun of it. She was about to Force-jump through when an object glinting in the firelight caught her eye. It was a small vial containing a blue-tinged liquid.

_Could this be a sample of the Virdix?_

Ahsoka stuck the vial on her belt, then followed 448.

"I am going to assume you know were the nearest exit is," she said as the droid picked itself up off the floor.

"Roger roger," 448 said unhappily. "You know, you are violent for a Jedi."

"You are sarcastic for a battle droid."

The droid went mute and walked on.

There were faint explosions in other parts of the factory. A low rumble began soon after.

Ahsoka picked up the pace, which was hard to do considering she had injured her leg.

"Uh, Jedi?" 448 began nervously. "The Virdix is-"

448 was interrupted by a huge explosion in the room just beside them. Ahsoka was almost thrown off her feet and 448 clattered to the floor.

"The Virdix is _flammable!_" 448 finished. "If we are in here and the big vats of Virdix and Fondorian Extract catch fire-"

"The whole _forest_ could go up in a much _much_ more powerful pulse!" Ahsoka finished in dawning horror. The fact that she was in a burning building stocked with flammable items forgotten, she raised her comlink.

It was time to contact her Master.

"Ahsoka, _where are you?_"

"I am- er- in the factory." Ahsoka cringed, awaiting his next words.

"What? Ahsoka, that factory blew up!"

"No, that was the ship in the _hangar_ of the factory. But that isn't important, listen to me, Master-"

"Ahsoka!"

Ahsoka recoiled from the comlink, glad that several kilometres of land and a burning building separated her from her Master at the moment.

"What in the galaxy possessed you to go against my orders like that? You could have been killed in the explosion, you could have-"

"_Master!" _Ahsoka was running out of patience at the moment. "They are mixing this liquid- Virdix, they call it- with Fondorian Extract, and if the fire reaches those flammable chemicals, we are going to have a lot more to worry about than me disobeying orders!"

"Got it," Anakin said. Ahsoka was relieved to hear that he had calmed down some. "I'll evacuate the men, then I am coming back for you."

"Master, no. I can handle myself. Just get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you alone in there!"

"I'm not alone," Ahsoka said. "I've got 448."

"Who?"

Ahsoka was starting to enjoy herself. "A battle droid. Bye!"

Ahsoka cut the transmission and turned to 448. "Under the circumstances," she said. "I think that went rather well."

Ahsoka and 448 arrived at the exit with no further incidents. Ahsoka took a deep breath of clean air, then turned back to the factory, a mere twenty metres away.

"I wonder," she mused. "If the Force can be used to stop enormous pulses."

448 was confused. "What? If you're thinking what I think you're thinking..."

Ahsoka shushed the droid and turned her attention back to the factory. The building was almost entirely consumed by flames and she knew she didn't have much time.

Sure enough, the rumbling had increased to a loud roar and the factory was beginning to shake.

Ahsoka knew what she was about to do was sheer madness, but she had to try. She gathered the Force and braced herself.

Suddenly, the building exploded with a blinding light. A fiery ring was spreading rapidly around the factory and Ahsoka met its light with the Force, imagining a wall so thick that the flames and the energy couldn't get past. She had never felt so in tune with the Force and wondered disantly if this was how Anakin had felt during the test in the arena on Mortis. The flames and the energy grew and grew until Ahsoka almost couldn't contain it, then everything just stopped.

The factory was a pile of ruins and the ground was charred, but nothing had spread farther than Ahsoka.

The young Padawan stared at her hands in shock, feeling slightly overwhelmed. How had she _done_ that?

_I wasn't really expecting to survive that._

_"_Jedi?"

Ahsoka had forgotten 448 was there. "You can leave if you want. I no longer want to see you're circuits spread across the galaxy. Thanks for helping me get out."

448 bowed once, then retreated into the trees.

"Commander Tano!"

Ahsoka spun around to see Rex hurrying toward her. "What are you doing here? I told my Master to evacuate everyone!"

"Everyone is gone, sir. The general ordered me to come look for you, and to inform you that your lightsabers should be fully functioning."

"Thanks, Rex." Ahsoka began to remove her lightsabers from her belt.

"Too bad you wont be needing them anymore."

The change in Rex's voice made Ahsoka look up. An ugly sneer marred the Captain's face and he had a stun gun pointed in her direction. Before Ahsoka could react, she was enveloped in a blinding flash. Her limbs were instantly useless and she fell into darkness. Her last conscious thought was projected through the Force.

_Master, help me._

**Muahahahah! What has happened to Rex? And Ahsoka? Find out next time on- oh forget it. Please reveiw!**


	8. Missing

**Thanks for the reviews! Hopefully this streightens out everything that happened in the last chapter.**

Anakin was worried. They were a safe distance away from the factory. The pulse should have gone off by now, but all he had heard were some large explosions and he still hadn't heard from Ahsoka.

_Has she gone _crazy_? Gallivanting around a burning factory with a battle droid of all things?_

He turned to the nearest trooper. "Any sign of Rex or Ahsoka yet?"

"No sir," the trooper answered. Anakin sighed. At least the super-weapon's affects had worn off. His arm was fully functioning and his lightsaber worked fine.

_Master, help me!_

Ahsoka's cry through the Force was like an energy blaster. She was in trouble!

Anakin raised his comlink. "Ahsoka, come in. Ahsoka!"

He tried several times to reach her. Nothing worked.

Panicking slightly, Anakin signalled the clones. "Attention, everyone!" he shouted. Every trooper snapped to attention. "I need you to fan out and find Commander Tano. Is that clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the clones responded.

One clone came up to him. "Is the kid in trouble?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Anakin said grimly.

Recko Mindar, who had been posing as Captain Rex, straightened over Ahsoka's still form and morphed back into his true self, a clawdite.

_Well, that was an easy enough catch. I can't believe Dooku is paying me three times my regular fee for this. _

The bounty hunter fastened binders around the girl's wrists and began dragging her along behind him. His ship wasn't far, he could make a quick escape and leave the Jedi with Dooku at the rendezvous point.

_Why he wants this shrimp, I'll never know. I would much rather have taken Skywalker, or possibly both of them._

Hopefully, Skywalker wouldn't know his Padawan was missing for at least a few hours. The only one who knew something was amiss was the pathetic clone captain, and he wouldn't be regaining conscious for a while. Plenty of time for Mindar to keep posing as Rex if needed.

Mindar stopped a little ways away from where he had hidden his ship. There were voices ahead.

"Trooper, have you seen Ahsoka?"

_Skywalker!_ Mindar cursed his luck. His ship, the _Red Midnight_ was hidden on the other side of this clearing, but it might as well have been the other side of the planet if he had to sneak past the republic military to get there.

_You complete this job, you can buy another ship. Just get the girl off-planet._

Mindar left Ahsoka in the bushes where she couldn't be seen and took on the clone's captain's form again. If he could steal a gunship without being detected, he could get back through the republic blockade without having to sneak through.

He had only gone a few feet when a voice cut through the air.

"Rex!"

Mindar growled and turned around. "General?"

"Have you had any luck in finding Ahsoka?" Skywalker sounded quite frantic, and Mindar wondered if he'd sensed something.

"Uh, no, sir," Mindar replied quickly. _Jedi can sense lies. Stay calm._

Skywalker looked at him curiously. "Are you OK?"

"Yes, General," Mindar said. It was time to get out of there. "I was thinking I should use a gunship to search for the brat- Commander Tano, I mean."

Skywalker seemed too concerned for his Padawan to notice anything that the bounty hunter was saying. "Go ahead," he said almost absently.

Mindar grinned to himself. Skywalker had pretty much just handed over his apprentice without even knowing it. Mindar strode quickly away and chose a gunship. Now he just had to get Ahsoka on the ship without anyone noticing.

Anakin was alerted to a presence in the bushes near by and sensed it wasn't a life-form. He pulled out his lightsaber and sprang upon the intruder.

"Ahh!" came a metallic scream. Anakin took stock of his prisoner- a simple battle droid. He angled his lightsaber, ready to turn it into scrap.

"Ahsoka!"

Anakin's lightsaber came to a halt inches from the droids face. "What did you just say?"

"Jedi! Ahsoka! I was rescued by Jedi then watched her be shut down by imposter-"

"What? Shut down? Back up, what happened?"

"If you could take your lightsaber away from my circuits, I would tell you."

Anakin switched off his lightsaber and glared at the droid. "What happened?"

"I am 448," the battle droid said in a slightly superior tone. "I was rescued by Jedi Ahsoka in the burning building- not willingly. It was much due to Jedi's threats to disassemble me that I went."

Anakin hid a smile. That definitely sounded like Ahsoka.

"We made it out of the factory and Jedi Ahsoka used an invisible weapon- the Force, I think she called it- to save the forest from the super-weapon."

"_What?"_ Anakin did a double take. To stop a weapon like that using only the Force... Ahsoka shouldn't have had that type of power!

"Jedi Ahsoka told me I was free to go and I walked away. Then I heard a new voice and I turned back to see what was happening and I saw a clone stun her. But it wasn't a clone, it was a changeling! I am probably going to get thrown out of the droid army for this, but I wanted to help her. I made my way here and _this_ is the reception I get. Honestly, the republic military has no manners..."

Anakin sat back, head spinning.

Ahsoka had been kidnapped! Again!

Why? Who was behind it _this_ time? How was she different from the other Padawans, besides being the only one to be trained by the Chosen One?

_Who and why is not important right now. I can worry about that later. I need to find her _now!

Suddenly the facts clicked together. Ahsoka had been taken by a changeling, which was another word for clawdite. That clawdite had been pretending to be a clone. And a clone that Ahsoka had befriended and trusted was...

"Rex!"

Anakin sprinted from the bushes, silently berating himself. _You gave the clawdite permission to take a gunship to get away on. Why didn't you just hand him a golden ticket saying _Kidnap my Padawan_?_

Anakin found the clawdite's gunship just as it was taking off. He smirked at Anakin from the cockpit.

In a last, desperate move, Anakin Force-leaped onto the gunship as it soared into the sky. Almost instantly, the small craft began rocking from side to side in an attempt to throw Anakin off. Grimly, the Jedi hung on.

_If he gets too high, I'll have to jump..._

Anakin dismissed the thought and inched along the side of the gunship, trying to reach it's pilot. In response, the gunship began rocking more violently, nearly pitching Anakin off.

Anakin reached the cockpit and wrenched open the bubble windshield.

"Hello, Skywalker," the clawdite hissed pleasantly.

"Land the ship or I'll do it for you!" Anakin shouted angrily.

"No chance, Jedi! I'm making too much money off of this job!" the clawdite reached behind him, pulled out a blaster and fired off a quick shot. Anakin was already off-balance and dodging the blasterfire knocked his grip loose. He began the long fall back to the forest floor.

Anakin hardly managed to process the fact that he was falling from two hundred feet up. He used the Force to slow his descent and landed safely.

Several clones surrounded him.

"General! Are you alright?"

"No," Anakin answered quietly. He had failed his Padawan.

Again.

**Please reveiw!**


	9. Discoveries

**Thanks for the reveiws! They keep me writing!**

Anakin forced himself to calm down. He had an apprentice _and_ a clone captain to find.

"You three, come with me," he ordered three troopers.

_The clawdite probably knocked Rex out and assumed his identity. But how do you hide a clone trooper wearing all white? _

They were nearing the republic camp when Anakin caught sight of a flash of white. It was almost invisible under the green plant life.

_Clone armour?_ Anakin cautiously pushed aside the foliage to reveal a clone trooper lying facedown. Looking at the blue markings, Anakin could tell it was Rex.

"Sir, is he...?" one of the troopers trailed off.

"No, he's alive." Anakin turned back to to the trio of troopers. "Sketch, go find me a medic." The trooper nodded and hurried off.

Rex was coming around. He blinked once, then sat up abruptly.

"Sir! Commander Tano- there's a clawdite bounty hunter- she's going to be kidnapped!"

"I'm afraid you've been out of it for a while, Rex," Anakin said, then filled him in on what he had missed.

The Captain's eyes went wide, then his expression went grim. "I've got some news of my own, General," he said. "I was looking for the kid like you had instructed, then I came across a ship. It wasn't a republic model and there were voices from inside, so I went to check it out. A hologram was instructing the clawdite, who he called Recko Mindar, to capture Ahsoka without drawing attention to himself, then get off this planet as fast as possible. The changeling came out of his ship and saw me, then before I had a chance to react, he used a stun blaster on me. I couldn't see who the hologram was."

"Wait," Anakin said. "Did you say he had a ship? A non-republic one?"

"Yes, sir."

"And yet, he escaped on a republic gunship," Anakin said thoughtfully. "Either his ship was destroyed in the blast of the factory, or he had to abandon it to get away."

"General, his ship was close to the republic camp," Rex supplied. "It couldn't have been destroyed with the factory."

"Good work Captain," Anakin said. Just then, Sketch arrived with a medic.

"Are you all right, Captain?" Sketch asked.

"I'll be back," Anakin said. "The bounty hunter's ship may be useful to us." Leaving Rex in the hands of the medic, Anakin set off the find the ship.

Anakin didn't see the ship until he actually ran into it. The small shuttle was covered in leaves and branches and was a dark green. It looked to Anakin like it had been stolen, then modified, as a shuttle of this size normally didn't have so many weapons.

Anakin entered the ship and made his way to the cockpit. The first thing he did was check the holodisk for recent messages, but it had been wiped. The same thing had happened to the records. This bounty hunter took no chances.

_But no bounty hunter has no records on _any_ of their missions. There has got to be something somewhere._

Anakin combed the cockpit for a stray datapad, holodisk, anything, but there was nothing.

_Well, the first place he'd expect me to check would be the cockpit. Lets try somewhere else._

The room immediately behind the cockpit was the prisoner's hold, and Anakin was sure Mindar wouldn't keep something valuable where his captives could get it.

The last room in the ship was a small room at the very back. It contained little, just spare armour and some trophies the bounty hunter had taken from his captives. But Anakin felt that what he was looking for was in here.

Anakin's attention was drawn to a single horn that looked like it was taken from a reek, or some other large creature.

_I didn't think that bounty hunters would be hired to take out reeks. Those things aren't intelligent enough to be considered more than animals, and bounty hunters don't hunt animals._

Anakin approached the horn and twisted it slightly. The wall behind it came away to reveal a small vault containing a datapad.

_Gotcha._

Anakin retrieved the datapad and studied it.

_Passcode required _flashed on the screen.

Anakin frowned. He had never heard of this bounty hunter before and didn't know anything about him. If he got the passcode wrong, all information on the datapad would erase itself.

Target? Too obvious. Captive? No.

_How about the ship's name? What was it again? The_ Red Midnight_?_ Holding his breath, Anakin keyed in the ship's name.

_Passcode correct. _Anakin grinned and pulled up the most recent entry.

_Mission: capture Jedi Padawan by the name of Ahsoka Tano. Target not to be killed, for now. Rendezvous with employer on world of Agamar in capital of Calna Muun. Shape-shifting skills required._

Anakin frowned. That wasn't a lot of information, but it was all he had. Agamar? That was a world controlled by the separatists. It wouldn't be easy to get on.

Anakin left the bounty hunter's shuttle and went back to the republic camp. A clone trooper came up to him.

"Sir, the Jedi Council wishes to know of your progress."

Anakin clenched his fists. The Council would most likely want a long detailed report, taking away the time he could be using going after Ahsoka. And when they heard that Ahsoka had been captured, they would probably make him stay on Gavern while a Jedi Master went out after her, a job Anakin trusted no one but himself to do.

He looked up at the trooper. "Tell them they'll have to wait for my report. I'm going after Ahsoka."

"Yes, General," the clone said rather nervously.

Anakin strode back to the bounty hunter's ship. It would attract less attention on Agamar than a Jedi starfighter.

Anakin was in the atmosphere when he received a transmission from the Jedi Temple.

_That came faster then I thought it would. I'm impressed. _

A dry voice came from his comlink. "Anakin, what happened _this_ time?"

"Good to hear from you, too, Obi-Wan," Anakin said sarcastically. "Ahsoka has been captured by a bounty hunter and I'm going after them. It is kind of a long story."

"What!" Obi-Wan sounded shocked. "Anakin, I'm sorry about your Padawan, but it isn't wise to rush into things. Take this slowly-"

"That's what you said before," Anakin said, anger seeping into his voice. "And look what happened!"

There was a slight pause, then Obi-Wan said, "Anakin, what happened before isn't relevant to this conver-"

Anakin cut the transmission and turned back to the controls. The ship cleared the blockade without much trouble and hyperspace arrived in a rush of stars.

He pondered his vision again. _Fate frowned upon the girl the day you took her as your Padawan. If you continue to train her, Ahsoka Tano will not live to become a Jedi Knight._

How much of this was his fault?

**Please reveiw!**


	10. The Chase

**Thanks for the reveiws! I do not own Star Wars.**

Ahsoka awoke to a headache. She heard the noise of a machine and for one wild moment, she thought she was back in the factory. Then she noticed the shape of the space she was in and realized she was in the cabin of a republic gunship.

_Well, that explains the noise. But what happened?_

Then she noticed the binders around her wrists and remembered. _Rex stunned me! Why am I a prisoner in a republic gunship? What is going on?_

There was a noise outside the gunship. Ahsoka guessed whoever was piloting the ship was heading for a planet. That guess was proved correct when, a while later, the gunship landed on solid ground.

Footsteps were headed for the cabin and Ahsoka quickly lay down and closed her eyes. It would be better if her enemies thought of her as weak.

"Have you got her, bounty hunter?" That was a deep, slightly threatening voice that Ahsoka recognized.

_Count Dooku!_

"Yes, my lord," a new voice hissed. It sounded reptilian. "And I have her lightsabers here."

Ahsoka tensed. She strained to hear the Count's answer.

"I do not want them," Dooku said dismissively. "Sell them, if you wish. They will fetch a hefty price, even here on a separatist world. But do not delay. I want to leave soon. No doubt Skywalker is already on your tail. It was not wise to leave your ship on a republic-controlled world."

_Sell them? No!_

"My lord, you instructed me to get off-world any way I could. This seemed like the only way. I must admit, it was hard to convince the blockade I was not a republic spy."

"I do not wish to hear your complaints, Mindar. Sell the lightsabers and let's be off."

This left Ahsoka's mind whirling with questions. What did Dooku, the leader of the Separatist Alliance and a Sith Lord, want with her, a Jedi Padawan? How did Rex tie into that?

_I need to get out of here._

Dooku's footsteps had faded as well and Ahsoka assumed he had gone back to his own ship. She crept to the gunship's door and eased it open silently. She had only gone a few paces when a voice said, "Well, Tano, that didn't take long."

Ahsoka froze. Dooku was walking calmly toward her.

"Give up now, child. You are hopelessly outnumbered. A young Padawan on a enemy planet?"

Ahsoka had no intention of doing such a thing. She took off, her feet barely touching the ground.

Ahsoka took in her surroundings. She was in a spaceport in a bustling city.

_That isn't necessarily a good thing. More people to capture you. None of these people would be willing to help you. And with binders on, they'll know you escaped from somewhere._

Ahsoka glanced at the rooftops. They were high, but Dooku and the bounty hunter wouldhave more trouble following her up there. Summoning the Force, Ahsoka leaped for the nearest roof. She tripped slightly upon landing and fresh pain shot through her already injured leg. She set off again, more slowly than before.

A stun blast shot past her and Ahsoka risked a glance backwards. A clawdite bounty hunter clad in full body armour flew behind her using a jetpack. He had a blaster in one hand and a green laser whip in the other.

_On the other hand, the streets might be the better option._

Ahsoka jumped off the roof and found herself in a shabbier part of the city. This was good news to her; there were plenty more places to hide. She ducked into a dirty street and melted into the shadows. Now all she could hear was her ragged breathing.

_Now what? I have no comlink, no lightsaber and I'm in the middle of a separatist haven._

Suddenly, a call came to her through the Force.

_Ahsoka, are you alright?_

_Master!_ Ahsoka kicked herself for not thinking to use the Force to contact her Master sooner._Yeah, I'm alright, but I'm not sure for how long. I'm on a separatist planet and I'm being chased by Dooku and a bounty hunter._

_You escaped? _

Ahsoka could feel her Master's relief. _Yes. I have no idea where I am, though.._

_Its a planet called Agamar. You are in the capital, Calna Muun. _

_How did you know that? _Ahsoka was confused.

_I found the bounty hunter's ship and went through his records. I had no idea he was working with Dooku, though._

Ahsoka suddenly remembered something that Dooku had said. _I won't be on Agamar for long, not if the bounty hunter catches me. This was just a rendezvous point._

_So, don't get caught. I'll be arriving on Agamar shortly._

Ahsoka groaned at Anakin's simple logic. _What about Rex? He's the one who stunned me in the first place._

_No, that was the clawdite with Rex's identity, _Anakin told her. _Oh, and Ahsoka? Do I really need to remind you that battle droids are for cutting up, not pairing up with? _Especially_ sarcastic ones._

Ahsoka grinned, but that grin faded as a shadow passed overhead. The bounty hunter had found her.

She bolted from her hiding place and took off down the street, dodging stun blasts as she went.

_Ahsoka?_

_Sorry, Master. I've been found again._

_Hang in there, Ahsoka, I can see the planet now!_

Ahsoka wasn't sure she could do that. Her leg was in too much pain to run, and the bounty hunter was closing in.

Backed up against a wall, Ahsoka had only one trick left. She reached for the power she had discovered on Gavern and focused it on the bounty hunter.

Against a wave of the Force, Mindar flew down the street and smashed into a pile of crates. Ahsoka wondered if he'd been knocked unconscious, but he stood shakily up and started toward her again.

It had been powerful, but apparently the bounty hunter had a hard head.

Ahsoka looked up. The roof was too high for her to jump and the buildings were crowding her from both sides. She had no choice but to surrender.

_Deja Vu, _she thought. _Except this time I have no factory to blow up._

_Ahsoka, what is going on? _

Ahsoka had forgotten about Anakin. _You know what you said about not getting caught?_

_Yeah? _

_I failed. _

**Please reveiw! In the next chapter, Ahsoka finds out a startling truth and is forced to make a decision...**


	11. Memories

**Thanks for reveiwing! I do not own Star Wars, or the Altar of Mortis scene this chapter contains.**

Ahsoka glared at Dooku as he paced before her in his palace on Serenno. The green tinted windows cast eerie shadows across the room.

The bounty hunter had dragged her back to Dooku and put binders on her that prevented her from using the Force. She could no longer talk to Anakin, and now they were halfway across the galaxy from Agamar.

"I don't want to hurt you, child," Dooku said. "I just wish to talk to you."

_And I'm a Gundark's uncle,_ thought Ahsoka. "Aloud, she said, "You dragged me halfway across the galaxy just so you could _talk_ to me?"

"In a manner of speaking," Dooku said. "I believe you have recently had some... troubles on a distant planet known as Mortis."

Ahsoka eyed him suspiciously. "How did you know that?"

"I have my contacts in the republic," Dooku said airily. "I also happen to know that there was an incident on Mortis that you seem to have... forgotten. That you wish to know about."

Ahsoka glanced at him. "My Master will tell me when he wants me to know."

"You do not believe this is so. But I can unlock your memories _now._" Dooku's eyes glinted as he stared at her. "You have great power, Ahsoka Tano," he said, almost to himself.

"Have I not made it clear that I don't trust you?" Ahsoka snapped.

"Oh yes, quite clear. But whether you trust me or not, we both know that your Master will not tell you anything anytime soon."

Ahsoka considered this. She wanted nothing more than to know what had happened. But this was _Dooku_ that was offering to help her.

"What's the catch?" she asked warily.

"There is no catch," Dooku said, looking wounded that she would suggest something like that. "I simply believe there should not be secrets between Masters and Padawans."

Ahsoka still didn't believe him. But she found herself nodding against her better judgement.

Dooku waved his hand like he was using a mind trick. But instead of twisting her mind, he unlocked it's memories.

The ground seemed to pitch under Ahsoka's feet and she found herself falling. She only had fallen for a few metres when she landed on a hard surface. She got to her feet and looked around. She was in a large courtyard with a solitary tree planted in the middle. To her right, a set of doors led into a tower and by the clouds swirling around the tower, Ahsoka had a feeling she was very high up.

_This is the Son's fortress! I'm actually in my memories!_

The doors opened and her Master walked in. He glanced around the courtyard, his gaze sliding over Ahsoka like she wasn't even there.

Ahsoka supposed that was true, in a sense.

Anakin's eyes fell on the tree and relief washed over his face. Ahsoka blinked in confusion. Sitting beneath the tree, her back to them was... herself!

"Ahsoka!" Anakin called. "Ahsoka, its me, you're safe, now let's get out of here!"

"Are you... proud of me, Master?" the other Ahsoka asked without turning around.

Ahsoka frowned. That wasn't her usual voice. It was dark and soft, almost threatening.

"What?" Anakin seemed shocked. "Of course, Snips. Of course I'm proud of you, now lets get out of here!"

"He's right," the other Ahsoka said and now she did turn.

Ahsoka gasped when she saw her appearance. The other Ahsoka's face was tinged with black, as if the blood running through her had turned to poison and her eyes were a sickly yellow. The colour of a Sith's eyes...

_Oh no._

"Right about everything," Dark Ahsoka continued. "You must join him!" She smirked slightly. "He only wants what's best for the universe."

Ahsoka swallowed hard. _I have a bad feeling about this..._

Anakin stared at Dark Ahsoka. "Hey," he said, dread in his voice, "Whats wrong with you?"

Dark Ahsoka glared at him. "Always with the criticism, Master," she said. "Never really believing in me. _Trusting_ me. Well," she turned away. "I don't need you anymore."

"Ahsoka," Anakin said frantically. "Ahsoka, listen to me. He has done something to you, snap out of it! This isn't you, Ahsoka!"

"Isn't it?" Dark Ahsoka flung out her arms. "I feel more like myself then I ever have!" Then her voice dropped to low and threatening. "He asked me to give you a message."

Ahsoka assumed she meant the Son.

"He said if you don't join him, he will kill me!" Dark Ahsoka gave a little laugh.

"I wont let him!" Anakin said fiercely.

"Then _you_ will be forced to kill me!" Dark Ahsoka shouted, whirling around, lightsaber in hand.

Anakin just sadly stared at her. He made no move to activate his own.

Dark Ahsoka scowled and leaped forward, aiming her lightsaber for Anakin's head.

For a second, Ahsoka thought he wasn't going to block it, but at the last possible moment, his lightsaber flashed up to meet Dark Ahsoka's.

Ahsoka remembered that Anakin wouldn't be killed, as he was very much alive in her own time, but it was still hard to watch the fight.

Anakin ducked away from Dark Ahsoka's swings, seemingly unable to hurt her.

_He should have killed me,_ Ahsoka thought miserably. _I didn't deserve that._

"I don't want to fight you, Ahsoka," Anakin said desperately. His response was a kick in the face that sent him flying backwards. His lightsaber skittered away as Dark Ahsoka raised her lightsaber.

"And now, the student will kill the Master!" she declared triumphantly.

Anakin simply extended a hand and his lightsaber flew into it in time to block the deadly blow.

"Getting ahead of yourself, aren't you, Snips?" Anakin's tone was light, but Ahsoka caught an emphasis on 'Snips', as if he was using her old nickname to help her remember what she had been. But it didn't work. Dark Ahsoka's face contorted with rage.

"Don't call me that!" she snapped. "I hate it when you call me that!"

Anakin recoiled slightly, but regained his composure and continued the fight.

Ahsoka glared at her past, wishing she could join the fight. _That's not true! _"I'm sorry, Master," she whispered, knowing he wouldn't hear her.

The battle continued across the courtyard. At some point, Obi-Wan joined the fight, but that did little to slow down Dark Ahsoka.

Finally Anakin used the Force to throw her back several feet, then turned back to Obi-Wan.

"Any suggestions?"

"Yes." Obi-Wan pulled a long dagger from his belt. "We cut her free!"

Ahsoka blinked. _The dagger of Mortis!_

"Where did you get that!" Dark Ahsoka shouted. Ahsoka realized in horror that her voice had an undertone of the Son's in it. "Give it to me!" She sprang forward, but the battle had only just begun again when the window in the tower above them shattered and the Son and Daughter came flying out. Seconds later, the Father landed in front of them.

"So glad you could make it to our little party, Father," the Son said, sending a stream of Force-lightning at him. The Father blocked it with his hand, but it seemed to take a lot of strength to do that.

"You will stop this!" he commanded.

"You are too weak for me, old man," the Son sneered. "You mean nothing to me anymore!"

The lightning soon became too much for the Father to block, and he was thrown off his feet. Ahsoka watched helplessly as the Son poured more lightning into his father.

"Anakin- now!" Obi-Wan shouted, tossing the dagger of Mortis to him. But before he could catch it, Dark Ahsoka leaped forward and snatched it out of the air. She then ran to stand beside the Son, who stopped shocking his Father to turn to her.

"Everything has transpired exactly as I planned," he announced.

"You showed them.. the Altar?" the Father asked the Daughter weakly. Ahsoka wondered what the Altar was.

"I am sorry, father," the Daughter said sorrowfully. "I didn't know how else to stop him!"

"Give it to me, child," the Son commanded Dark Ahsoka.

"Ahsoka, no!" Anakin pleaded.

Dark Ahsoka shot him a hateful glance and presented the dagger to the Son.

_Please tell me this is just a nightmare! Tell me I didn't really do that, _Ahsoka thought.

"Thank you," the Son said, waving the dagger experimentally. "Your usefulness has come to an end." He touched two fingers to Dark Ahsoka's forehead and she immediately crumpled to the ground. Ahsoka saw her chest rise and fall. It did not resume.

"Nooooooo!" Anakin screamed, racing toward her. Before he could reach her, the Son used the Force to throw him back.

Ahsoka stood there, stunned. _How could I be dead? I'm alive right now!_

The Son turned back to the Father. "The Jedi have brought me the dagger and you have brought yourself. Now, Father," he raised the dagger. "You will die!"

"Father!" came a cry, as the Daughter ran forward. She threw herself in front of the dagger and was impaled in the back.

The Son looked at his dying sister in horror, then screamed in anger and flew off in his gargoyle form.

The ground pitched under Ahsoka's feet again and she was falling. Like before she only fell for a few metres before landing.

Ahsoka looked up to find Dooku staring down at her. "Let me go back," she demanded. "I want to know what happened!"

"There is really nothing more that you should remember," Dooku said. "Your Master thought nothing more could be done for you, and was just about to leave when the dying Daughter offered to transfer her life-force into you. Unfortunately, that process returned you to the light side with no memory of what happened.

"Why did I even turn to the dark side in the first place?" Ahsoka asked.

"The Son offered you great power, the chance to be greater than even your Master. And you were, if even a short amount of time. You saw that in your memories. Your Master does not want you to know, because he thought if you knew, you would turn again. He didn't _trust_ you not to turn again."

"How do you know?" Ahsoka demanded. "How do I know that everything you have told me isn't all lies?"

"I told you before, I have my contacts inside the republic," Dooku replied. "And, you saw what happened. I can do a lot of things, but I cannot fake a memory like that." He studied her intently. "When the Daughter died, she not only gave you life, but some of her Force power as well. With training, you have the potential to be greater than your Master. Greater than Yoda. Join me, Ahsoka."

Ahsoka took a step back. Great power? She hadn't asked for that. But her Master...

_He doesn't trust you,_ whispered a voice in her head. _All he sees in you is a way to become a Jedi Master. Choose the better path._

Ahsoka remembered when she had first met her Master.

"_You're reckless, little one," _he had said. "_You never would have made it as Obi-Wan's Padawan... but you might make it as mine."_

Why would he have spent those countless hours training her if he had no attachment to her at all?

_Jedi do not form attachments. _

_But my Master is no ordinary Jedi._

Ahsoka looked up. "I've made my decision," she said and took a step toward Dooku...

***Uses Jedi mind trick* You _will_ reveiw!**


	12. Touching the Dark Side

**Thanks for all the reveiws!**

Ahsoka swallowed hard, knowing that the decision she made could cost her her life.

"I would never join you, Count," she said. "I am a Jedi. The Daughter gave her life to save me and bring me back to the light side. I will not dishonour her sacrifice."

Dooku's eyes flashed dangerously. "Very well," he said. "I still have some use for you. You will make nice bait for your Master's turn."

_What?_ Ahsoka couldn't let that happen. She thought quickly. The binders would send out an electric shock if she tried to use the Force, but if she could withstand the shock for long enough, she could possibly use the Force to override the lock and free herself.

Dooku was distracted, talking to the bounty hunter in the far end of the room. They thought she didn't pose a threat.

_You shouldn't have told me about the Daughter's power, Dooku._

Ahsoka would never have a better chance. She closed her eyes and reached out with the Force. The shock came instantly, but she tried to think through the pain. She imagined the Force as a key, unlocking the binders and...

With a click, they slid off her wrists. She leaped up and scanned the room for a way out. A shout told her she had been noticed. Ahsoka cast a look backwards. Dooku and Mindar were running toward her.

Ahsoka used the Force to throw them across the room, then bolted for the door.

Dooku's angry voice filled the room. "Get her! _Get her!_"

Quick footsteps told Ahsoka they were gaining. She raced through the dizzying maze of corridors. Every step of the way, she waited to be a victim of Dooku's legendary like of Force-lighting, but it never came and she could only hear one set of footsteps behind her. She knew she was at a disadvantage, this was Dooku's home and he knew every corridor. But she couldn't be used as bait.

Suddenly, Dooku appeared at the end of the corridor. Ahsoka wheeled around to find the bounty hunter at the other end. She let out a sigh. She was caught... again.

"I do believe you are more trouble than you are worth, young Padawan," Dooku said mildly, walking toward her. "If I did not still need you, I would kill you right now. I underestimated you once. I will not make that mistake again." Dooku reached out and plucked something off her belt. Ahsoka recognized the sample of Virdix she had taken from the factory.

"Do you know what else Virdix is useful for, child? As a plain substance, it is a chemical that can cut a Jedi off from the Force. That is why it was vital that the republic kept control of the planet Gavern."

Ahsoka stared at the tiny vial. Who knew that such a little thing could do so much damage?

Dooku waved the vial in front of her. "If you are injected with this, it will cut you off from the Force entirely, possibly forever. Unless, of course, you wish to join me."

Ahsoka shook her head. She had made her mind up. She would not join the dark side, even if refusing meant losing the Force.

Dooku scowled. "So be it, _Jedi._"

Ahsoka felt the difference instantly. The chemical left her with an odd feeling and she realized that the Force had been a part of her life since she was very young. She could still sense it around her, but it was like trying to keep a good hold on water, it kept slipping through her fingers.

The room was now spinning around her and there seemed to be two of Dooku. He was shouting something to the bounty hunter, something that sounded like the chemical had gone wrong, but he sounded very far away...

Anakin pulled his cloak closer around him as he walked through the streets of Calna Muun. If he was recognized, he would have the whole city after him.

So far, he had not had any leads toward Ahsoka. He had combed half the spaceport and there was no sign of the republic gunship. Not that he was expecting to find Ahsoka there, but still, there was probably _something_ there.

Then, without any warning, Ahsoka's Force signature disappeared. Anakin stopped dead in the middle of the spaceport, horrified. A Jedi's Force signature only disappeared when they died.

_No! She can't be dead!_

Anakin forced himself to calm down. Maybe she had gotten away and had to hide her Force presence from Dooku.

_Or, maybe Dooku killed her._

Anakin looked wildly around the spaceport for something- anything that would help him find Ahsoka.

"A Jedi's weapon is rare." A voice said from behind him. Anakin spun around, but to his relief, the Twi'lek that had spoken wasn't talking to him.

"I got them for a really good price," the Twi'lek continued to his Human partner. He turned away as he pulled something out of his tunic. Anakin froze when he turned back to reveal what he had.

Ahsoka's lightsabers sat in his hand.

Anakin had to stop himself from racing over and wrenching the lightsabers from the Twi'lek's hand. Fighting wouldn't solve anything. Instead, he walked slowly over to the Twi'lek and his partner.

"Hey, those are some nice weapons you've got there," he said, trying to keep his voice friendly. "Do you mind telling me where you got them?"

The Twi'lek cast a suspicious eye over Anakin. "Who's asking?" he growled.

"A friend," Anakin said simply. "Now who sold you the lightsabers?

"I don't remember," the Twi'lek said.

Anakin knew he was lying. He had another trick to try. "You _will_ tell me who sold you the lightsabers," he said, nudging the Twi'lek's mind.

The Twi'lek looked surprised, then smug. "I am not a weak minded being, _Jedi_," he said.

Anakin's temper was beginning to snap. "Tell me where you got the lightsabers, now!"

The Twi'lek looked like he was enjoying himself. "Or what? You use your lightsaber here, you'll be arrested before you can say Coruscant! So the answer is no."

Anakin's temper overloaded. He raised his hand in a fist and used the Force to choke the Twi'lek. His eyes bulged as he gasped for air.

"Who sold you the lightsabers?" Anakin shouted. "Who!"

The Twi'lek made a rasping noise and Anakin relaxed his grip slightly.

"Not... exactly sure," gasped the Twi'lek. "A Changeling...said he needed to make... fast credits."

"Did he say where he was going?" Anakin demanded.

"Yeah... Serenno... I think it was..."

That made sense to Anakin. Dooku lived on Serenno and it was logical for him to take Ahsoka there. He released the Twi'lek, grabbed the lightsabers and began walking away.

"What kind of Jedi was that, anyway," he heard the Twi'lek mutter and felt a twinge of regret.

_I shouldn't have done that, it's not the Jedi way. _Even worse, that was not his first time Force-choking someone, or his second, for that matter. And it felt easier every time he did it.

_What am I becoming?_

Anakin pushed the thought aside. He had a goal now, and a chance to get back Ahsoka.

_If she is still alive..._

**Its my birthday today and reveiws would be a nice gift. :D**


	13. Showdown on Serenno

**Wow, thanks for the amazing response to the last chapter! If I owned Star Wars, I would have a pony. I do not have a pony.**

Anakin had never been a patient man. Watching the swirl of hyperspace with nothing to do except wonder if Ahsoka was still alive or not was driving him insane. He still couldn't feel her through the Force and he had no other way to contact her.

_This is probably a trap. They most likely know I have Mindar's ship. Well, at least it will get me safely on to the planet._

Finally the bounty hunter's ship dropped out of hyperspace and was greeted by the separatist blockade of Serenno.

A battle droid's voice came through the ships comm system. "Incoming ship, identify yourself."

Anakin found himself wishing he had brought 448. The droid probably knew all the separatist codes. "Er, this is the _Red Midnight_ requesting access to Serenno. I have business with Count Dooku."

Well, that was true, in a sense.

There was a pause and Anakin figured the droids were doing a background check on the ship. They would find out that the ship belonged to a bounty hunter Dooku was expecting and let him go... hopefully

"You may proceed," the droid said.

Anakin guided the ship through the blockade and down to the planet's surface. Just ahead was Dooku's palace.

He proceded cautiously, expecting an ambush at any time, but there was no one around. This further raised his suspicions that he was expected.

_It doesn't matter. I have to get Ahsoka out of there. _

Anakin cut a hole in the door with his lightsaber and clambered through. He crept through the maze of corridors, never letting his guard down.

There were voices up ahead and Anakin silently stole down the corridor. He peered to through the door to see Dooku himself, talking to Mindar.

"... Was not for her species?" That was Dooku. "Why did you not tell me this _before _I gave the Virdix to her?"

The bounty hunter seemed to shrink before Dooku's scorching glare. "Sorry, my lord, I forgot-"

"Excuses!" Dooku snapped.

"With all due respect, you did say that my job was to deliver Tano to you on Agamar. I did not expect to have to come to Serenno to babysit her!"

"She is dying! Because you 'forgot' that the Virdix is poisonous to Togrutas!"

Anakin couldn't stand it anymore. He stepped into the room, lightsaber blazing. "Where is my Padawan?" he demanded.

Dooku's furious expression was replaced with a pleasant smile. "Hello Skywalker, you've been expected."

"What have you done with Ahsoka?" Anakin snapped.

Dooku's grin widened. "Why, she is right over there. See for yourself." He gestured to a corner of the room where Anakin could see a small figure sprawled on the ground. She wasn't moving.

Dooku forgotten, Anakin ran to Ahsoka.

Her skin was deathly pale and her eyes were closed. Her breathing was shallow and Anakin was afraid she would stop breathing entirely.

_My vision..._

Suddenly her eyes fluttered open. It seemed to take her several seconds to focus on him and when she spoke, her voice was no more than a hoarse whisper. "Master, why didn't you tell me...?"

An icy fear crept through Anakin. "What's wrong with her?" he asked Dooku angrily.

"She was slightly... uncooperative, so I had to use rather harsh methods to keep her contained." Dooku said. "The chemical she was injected with was only supposed to cut off her connection to the Force. Instead, I found out it is poisonous to her kind. She is dying."

Anakin swung his lightsaber to face Dooku. "Why did you capture her in the first place?" he asked.

"The Force is very strong in her," Dooku murmured. "And now she knows why."

"What do you mean?"

"Your Padawan recently turned to the dark side, young Jedi. Yes, I know this," he said at Anakin's shocked expression. "I know how you _failed_ to keep her from harm."

Anakin's mind was racing as he deactivated his lightsaber. Finally he said, "But what does this have to do with Ahsoka's Force power?"

"A very powerful being brought Tano back to life," Dooku reminded him. "She not only gave your Padawan life, but great Force power as well. And she knows this."

"You _told_ her?" Anakin shouted. Great Force power? This was why Dooku had kidnapped Ahsoka?

"Yes," Dooku said, studying Anakin carefully. "I can feel your hate, Skywalker. You have lost your Padawan's trust. You must know how essential trust is to a Master/Padawan bond. It would be a miracle if she ever trusts you again... if she survives this poison, that is."

"What is the antidote?" Anakin demanded.

"I will tell you... if you join me. Give into your hate."

"Never." Anakin's hand itched for his lightsaber.

"Then I am afraid your Padawan will have to suffer needlessly." Dooku raised a hand and Force-lightning engulfed Ahsoka. Her cries rang out across the room.

_No!_Furious, Anakin swung his lightsaber at Dooku's head, but the Sith Lord raised his own lightsaber to meet it. Anakin struck again and the duel began.

As hard as Anakin tried not to, he fought with anger. This was the man who had cut off his arm, started the war that killed billions of beings and kidnapped his apprentice. He deserved to die.

"Good," Dooku said, as if he had read his mind. "I sense your strong feelings of hate and anger. Why Yoda gave you a Padawan, I will never know. I thought he was smarter than that."

Anakin's next swing missed Dooku by an inch and a half.

_Don't fight with anger, _he told himself again as Dooku kept taunting him, but the walls he had built around his anger were crumbling. He hadn't felt like this since the night his mother died. The room seemed to disappear as his anger grew. Anakin felt himself slipping further and further away from the light until...

"Master... no."

The voice was so quiet he could barely hear it. In his anger he ignored it.

"Master!" The voice was more urgent this time.

Anakin ducked away from Dooku's next blow. The darkness slipped away as he looked at Ahsoka and he suddenly felt ashamed. Dooku was right. What kind of Master was he?

"Give me the antidote," he said quietly.

"Join me and I will let her live," Dooku replied. "But know that if you refuse, you will live forever with the guilt of knowing you could have saved her."

Anakin stared down at his weakening Padawan and knew Dooku had him. He couldn't lose his Padawan again.

"No, Master," Ahsoka said weakly. "You and the Chosen One prophecy... are much more important... than my life."

Anakin shook his head. "Not to me."

Ahsoka desperately tried to think through the fog that clouded her mind. She watched helplessly as Anakin approached Dooku. She saw the triumphant grin on Dooku's face.

_No, Master!_ She tried to shout, but now even words were failing her. She had resisted the dark side. It looked like her Master would not be so lucky.

Once again, she tried to grasp the Force. Once again, it evaded her. Darkness clouded her vision and she could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness. She had to stay awake...

_Calm down,_ she told herself. All the few times she had seen the Daughter, she had seemed serene, troubled by nothing.

_The most powerful Force users in the galaxy... surely the Daughter would have been able to escape the grip of a Force suppressing poison!_

From the time she was little, she had been taught that the Force was always with her. Now, she was simply separated from it by a invisible wall. If she could break the wall, she would have the Force back. And she could steer her Master away from this crazy idea...

Ahsoka closed her eyes, calmed herself and reached out to the Force...

**Please please reveiw! :D**


	14. The Power of the Force

**Thanks for the reveiws!**

Anakin stepped closer to Dooku. The Sith Lord's smile grew.

_"_Do you pledge yourself to the ways of the dark side?" he questioned.

Anakin was so very tempted to say no. But that wouldn't help his Padawan. He sighed in defeat and opened his mouth... and was hit by a wave of Force energy so strong, it knocked him off his feet. He looked up and saw Dooku sprawled on the floor halfway across the room.

_If Dooku didn't do that... then who did?_ Anakin got up and looked around. He saw Ahsoka, hand outstretched, leaning against the wall for support, but upright.

_Ahsoka did that? But.. the Force poison!_

Dooku looked just as shocked as Anakin felt. He masked his surprise with a snarl. "Brave, but foolish young Padawan." He raised his own hand and sent a stream of Force-lightning at her.

Anakin leaped forward to block it with his lightsaber, but Dooku Force-pushed him back. He was forced to watch as the lightning shot at Ahsoka. Anakin thought he saw a hint of a smile on Ahsoka's face. She used the Force to absorb the energy, then sent it back at Dooku.

Anakin stared in disbelief. The only Jedi he knew of that could do that was Master Yoda and he was the Grand Master of the Order. Ahsoka was a Padawan, and a young one at that.

The Sith's expression would have been comical- if it weren't so terrifying. He sent more lightning at Ahsoka, who forced it back in a deadly loop.

Anakin saw the fierce look on Ahsoka's face waver. _She's getting tired. _He shook himself out of his shocked state and raised his lightsaber to help her.

_No, _Ahsoka thought to him. It seemed she couldn't talk anymore.

Anakin looked quizzically at Ahsoka. She shook her head and gave him a look that clearly said 'don't help me.'

Typical Ahsoka. Always thinking she could do things by herself. Once again, he wasn't going to listen to her.

He took a single step towards Dooku- and found himself on the ground again.

Ahsoka had Force-pushed him away. With the other hand, she continued to block Dooku's lightning.

_You are fighting with anger, Master,_ Ahsoka sent to him through the Force. _Anger does not win battles. The dark side isn't stronger._

Anakin blinked in surprise. Ahsoka had never really cared that he walked the dark path more than most Jedi. Why should she start now?

Ahsoka overloaded Dooku's defences and he was engulfed in his own Force-lightning. He ceased his attack and the lightning stopped.

The Sith Lord stared at Ahsoka, then at Anakin. He glared at them, then dissapeared out the door.

Anakin's first instinct was to follow him. He turned to motion to Ahsoka, but to his horror, she had crumpled to the ground. He remembered Dooku's words.

_The Virdix is poisonous to her kind. She is dying._

It had never occurred to him that the poison would remain even when she got the Force back. Or that she would use the Force to make up for her weakness...

Anakin made a quick decision. Dooku could be captured some other time. Ahsoka would not live again. He ran to Ahsoka's side. She looked worse than before. She looked at him weakly.

_I can walk,_ she said to him through the Force, seeing the question in his eyes. Anakin didn't want to agree, she looked like she was about to collapse again, but if he carried her, he'd never hear the end of it. He simply offered her a hand.

As they made their way down the corridors, Anakin noticed Ahsoka was limping as well. He was about to enquire about what happened when she stopped short.

_Do you sense that?_

"Sense what?"

_That!_ Ahsoka threw herself out of the way, taking Anakin with her.

For the third time that day, Anakin picked himself off the floor. "What was that..." he spotted the scorch mark on the wall where his head had been a second ago and trailed off. He whirled around to find Recko Mindar standing behind him, blaster in hand.

"Now, which one of you should I kill first," he hissed. "You, or the shrimp?"

"Oh, it's you," Anakin said. "I was hoping for a challenge."

Mindar snarled and raised a new weapon- a lightwhip. He sent it flying and it snaked through the air to tangle with Anakin's lightsaber. As hard as Anakin tried, he could not pull it free. With his free hand, Mindar raised his blaster. Anakin thought frantically for something to help him

_Ahsoka's lightsabers!_ Anakin had forgotten he had them. He pulled one off his belt just in time to block the shot and send it back at the bounty hunter.

Frozen on the bounty hunter's face was an expression of pure shock as the bolt slammed into his heart. He toppled to the ground.

_Funny how a weapon can so easily be turned against you, _Anakin mused.

He left the bounty hunter's body and ran to check on Ahsoka. In the few minutes the battle with Mindar had lasted, she seemed to have gotten worse still. She still managed to smile at him, though.

_Would you stop getting sidetracked? I thought we were trying to get out of here. The whole separatist army is probably waiting for us._

Anakin scowled at her and helped her to her feet again.

By the time they reached the exit, they had passed two squads of droids. Outside, Anakin could see the ship, but it was surrounded by battle droids.

_Told you,_ Ahsoka sent to him, but it seemed to take up energy to do that. Her breath was coming in shallow gasps and Anakin's worry escalated.

"Let me take care of the droids," he said. He forced a smile. "Don't go anywhere." Ahsoka didn't answer. She slumped against the wall, eyes closed.

Anakin crept closer to the ship and calculated the odds. _Twenty to one. They seem to be __outnumbered._

He leaped into action, slicing three droids in half before the others noticed anything. Two more were turned to scrap before they could raise their weapons. Six more fell before they could fire. More than half the squad was gone before the first shot was fired. Ten seconds later, all of them lay in a heap on the ground. _Well, that wasn't so hard._

Then he heard the bombers.

Ahsoka tried again to stand up, but like before, she failed. She could hardly move, much less stand. She felt herself slipping back into darkness.

Footsteps approached. "Ahsoka." Her Master tried again. "Ahsoka!"

'Go on without me,' she tried to say. 'If you wait for me, we are both going to get killed.' But as before, her mouth wouldn't work.

But Anakin seemed to sense what she was trying to say. "I'm not leaving you," he said firmly. He lifted her up and started back to the ship.

Ahsoka was more than a little embarrassed at being carried like a baby. But she was too tired to protest. She was relieved when he finally set her down. He left her for a minute and she figured he was getting them off of the planet.

A blast rocked the small ship and it snapped sideways. For several minutes, the craft was battered from all sides. To Ahsoka, it felt like being struck by lightning. At last, the rattling stopped. A second later Anakin entered the room.

"Sorry, the separatist blockade seemed to feel the need to give us an unfriendly sendoff." He looked at her seriously. "How are you?"

_If I don't make it, I just want to say I'm sorry... for what happened... before. _

From the look on Anakin's face, he knew instantly what she was talking about. "Ahsoka, that wasn't your fault. It was the Son's. And mine."

Ahsoka closed her eyes. _I'm sorry._

Anakin stiffened beside her. "Hang on... Snips."

Ahsoka was jarred back from the brink of unconsciousness. _Snips. _He hadn't called her that since...

_Snips. _

It wasn't as if that nickname had any real meaning besides giving a name on her attitude. But Anakin had called her that since the day she had first became his Padawan. It almost symbolized the bond between them. A bond bent, but not torn, no matter what Dooku said.

If he could still trust her after all that, she could hang on for him.

**What do you think? Please reveiw!**


	15. All Things Die

**100 reviews! YAY! Thanks to everyine who has reviewed so far! :D**

Anakin spent the entire journey back to Coruscant in fear for his Padawan. He had combed the entire ship for information on the antidote, but the bounty hunter had no records on the poison. Not that Anakin had really expected to find anything.

They were almost ready to drop out of hyperspace when Anakin received a transmission from the Temple. He winced, remembering how the last one had gone. Yeah, he was probably going to get in trouble for that...

"Skywalker here."

"Anakin, _where are you_?"

Obi-Wan sounded completely exasperated and Anakin was tempted to turn off his comlink. "Er, I had to make a quick stop on Serenno, but I'm almost at Coruscant now."

"Serenno? What in the galaxy were you doing on Serenno?"

"Obi-Wan, this isn't really the best time," Anakin said, sensing an argument coming on. "Ahsoka has been poisoned by Virdix. She's dying."

There was a short pause as Obi-Wan absorbed the news. "Who poisoned her?" he asked quietly.

"Dooku," Anakin said bitterly. "He arranged to have her captured because of what happened on... Mortis."

"How did he find out?" Obi-Wan wondered. "No one but the Council members know."

"And the Chancellor," Anakin reminded him. "If a Senator had overheard our conversation, it wouldn't take much for him or her to be bribed by the separatists."

"I fear there may be more to the Chancellor than meets the eye," Obi-Wan said and Anakin couldn't tell if he was talking to him or himself.

"The Chancellor is a good man," Anakin insisted. "He would never betray me like that!"

There was another pause, then Obi-Wan spoke again. "Get your Padawan back to the Temple as soon as possible. I will arrange to have your troops return to Coruscant."

Anakin had completely forgotten about the clones. "The Council was right about the superweapon," he said.

"Yes, we have been informed of the weapon by your captain," Obi-Wan said. "He also informed us that it had been destroyed, along with any remaining separatists. Oh, and he said to tell you they are bringing with them a battle droid with the intentions of reprogramming it."

_448? _Anakin was about to enquire further when the ship dropped out of hyperspace to reveal Coruscant.

"I'm almost at the Temple," Anakin said. "I'll see you soon." He cut the transmission without waiting for a reply.

Anakin piloted the ship down to the surface of the planet, not bothering to use the traffic lanes. He could see the spires of the Jedi Temple up ahead. He landed the ship, then went back to check on Ahsoka. She was unconscious now, and if it weren't for the rising and falling of her chest, he wouldn't be able to tell if she was alive or not. He lifted her again and left the ship.

The sight of Anakin Skywalker carrying the unconscious Padawan through the Temple generated whispers among the Jedi, but at the moment Anakin could have cared less. He brought Ahsoka to the healing wing, where he was greeted by Chief Healer Vokara Che.

"She's been poisoned," Anakin said by a way of explanation. He didn't feel like going into details just then.

Vokara nodded and motioned for him to follow her. The healing wing was nearly filled as a result of the Clone Wars; many Jedi had been injured in the field. Anakin set Ahsoka down on an empty bed and looked back at Vokara.

"You said she has been poisoned?" the Healer asked.

"She was injected with Virdix," Anakin said. "Do you have the antidote?"

Several expressions crossed Vokara's face and she looked at him with something like... Sympathy? Regret? He couldn't tell. She turned away and left him with Ahsoka. Anakin stared after her, bewildered. He started to go after her, then stopped. Instead, he looked back at Ahsoka again. Not even a day ago, she had been full of life, her usual snippy self. Now, he found it hard to believe that she had ever been that lively.

She couldn't die. He couldn't lose her.

_All things die, Anakin Skywalker, _whispered a voice in his head._ Even stars burn out._

Anakin shook away the voice as Vokara returned. "Well?"

She looked at him sadly. "I am sorry, Master Skywalker. There is no antidote for Virdix poisoning."

Surely he had heard wrong. No antidote? "What?"

"There is no cure. A Togruta injected with Virdix has no hope." the Healer repeated. "Even if there were, nothing could bring back her Force connection. Now you see why it is vital that we keep Gavern in the republic's control."

"But she _has_ regained her Force connection," Anakin said. "Can't you sense it?"

She reached out with the Force and an expression of shock flitted across her face. "So she has," she murmured. "I've never known this to happen before..." she turned back to Anakin. "Nevertheless, nothing can be done for her. She has no more than three hours to live."

Anakin felt as though he had been hit in the head with a vibro blade.

_Then Dooku lied! He said there was an antidote!_

"There has to be _something._ I can't just let her die!"

She looked at him sympathetically. "There is no death, Skywalker. Only the Force. Remember that." She turned to leave again. "I am sorry."

_If you are truly sorry, then help me save her, _Anakin thought angrily, but he just nodded silently.

Then he left the healing wing. Ahsoka had three hours left and he wasn't about to waste it sitting around doing nothing. He headed for the library.

When he was halfway there, he ran into Obi-Wan. To his relief, his old Master wasted no time with greetings and got straight to the point.

"How is she?"

"She has three hours to live and there is no cure," Anakin said stiffly, not looking at Obi-Wan. "The Healer said nothing can be done for her."

Obi-Wan stared at him in shock. "I'm sorry, Anakin," he said after a moment.

"I'm going to find an antidote," Anakin said with determination.

"Anakin, even if you searched the whole galaxy, there isn't enough time to-"

"Are you going to help me, or stand there telling me this is impossible?" Anakin snapped. He felt bad for his outburst immediately. None of this was Obi-Wan's fault.

"Of course I'll help you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "I'm just warning you not to get your hopes up."

Anakin nodded and set off again. They arrived at the library and Anakin sat down at one of the computers. A list of toxins came up and Anakin scanned the list for Virdix.

There it was. Virdix: _A chemical native to Gavern, it has the power to cut a Force sensitive off from the Force... fatal to Togrutas... no known antidote. _

No known antidote. Well, it wasn't as though he had thought Vokara was lying, but to see it on screen made it almost official. He checked a list of known antidotes of the galaxy, but nothing looked like it would have the slightest affect on her.

Obi-Wan came up behind him. "There is nothing in the archives. Did you find anything?"

Anakin sighed. "No," he said. "There is nothing." He stood up and they exited the library.

Anakin's mind was a whirlwind. He couldn't believe this was happening again. That he had _failed_ her again. He was watching her die again and there was nothing he could do about it. He hated nothing more in the galaxy than being helpless.

He found himself in the healing wing again and made his way back to Ahsoka's side. He pulled out one of her lightsabers and studied it. It felt too small in his hands, as he preferred a thicker, more powerful grip to her slim, small one. So different were their designs.

So similar were their personalities.

Would she ever hold it again? Or would it be laid to rest along with her?

_All things die..._

Anakin didn't know how long he stood there, racking his brain for an idea. Ahsoka hadn't stirred in ages and Anakin knew her time was almost up.

_Is it the will of the Force for her to die?_

The Force. It was the Force that had gotten them into this mess. How could the Force get them out?

Anakin snapped his head upright as an idea flew into his mind. The Force...

_All things die..._

But if his idea worked, Ahsoka wouldn't be dying that day.

**If anyone has read Matthew Stover's novelization of ROTS, 'all things die' is a nod to that book. Anyway, please reveiw!**


	16. Destiny

**Thanks for the reveiws! I do not own Star Wars.**

Anakin glanced down at Ahsoka, wondering if his idea really could work. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to try...

Vokara came to stand beside him. "She doesn't have much longer," she said.

As if he had forgotten.

"I have an idea," Anakin said.

Vokara glanced at him. "You found an antidote?"

"No, not an antidote, exactly," Anakin said. "I was thinking. This is a Force suppressing poison, right? One that is deadly to Togrutas."

"That's correct," Vokara said, looking a little confused.

"Well, what if we used the Force as an antidote?"

Vokara finally caught on and her eyes went wide. "You're thinking of using the Force to cure her? Skywalker, if you subject her to any more trauma, it could kill her even faster!"

"Better than watching her die slowly," Anakin retorted. "This will work." _It has to work, _he added silently.

"I have never attempted to use the Force to cure this poison," Vokara admitted. "This is extremely risky."

"Then _I'll_ do it," Anakin said. _I've used the Force to do much more than healing a being..._

Vokara nodded hesitantly. "Alright."

Anakin placed a hand on his apprentice's forehead and gathered the Force. He knew this would only work if he completely used the light side. The dark side was there as always, beckoning to him.

_Choose the easy path. Remember what Dooku did to her and let that feed your anger..._

Anakin faltered for a moment, remembering. The dark side swelled around him, but then he remembered Ahsoka's words. _The dark side isn't stronger._

Anakin focused on the light side again. Maybe it was his imagination but it seemed some of the colour was coming back to Ahsoka's face. Perhaps if he could keep his anger down, Ahsoka would live!

_The dark side is always present. She will not live1 Give into your hate, it is too late for her._

Anakin's anger rose again. He saw Ahsoka wince and realized his anger was affecting her as well. He forced himself to calm down.

"I don't think it's working!" Vokara said from behind him.

It was his fault. The anger in him was like a dragon, wild and untamable. He struggled to find the light side again, but Dooku's face kept surfacing in his mind. He tried to think of a good memory.

Ahsoka's 15th birthday. The day he had given her her shoto. The day he had taken her as a Padawan.

Those memories served to banish the dark side. But even through that, Ahsoka remained still.

Anakin felt the Force around him, it practically glowed around Ahsoka. He drew off that and tried again. Vokara and all the noise of the healing wing seemed to dissolve. Just Ahsoka, the Force and himself remained.

Ahsoka's breathing became better, colour returned to her face.

_The dark side isn't stronger. Ahsoka was right._

Anakin reached out with the Force to check for any traces of poison. There were none. He broke into a relieved smile. She was going to live!

He turned around to see Vokara looking at him with a stunned expression on her face. "Are you sure you don't want to be a healer here?" she asked.

Anakin shook his head. She obviously hadn't caught his... dark moments. "Will she recover completely?" he asked.

Vokara moved in to study the Padawan. "Yes," she answered. "She will be fine in a day or so."

Anakin thanked the healer and used the Force to pull a chair closer to Ahsoka's bed.

_Why is it so hard for me to resist the dark side? _he wondered. He had battled against anger for as long as he had been a Jedi. And now he had an apprentice who had adapted some of his more... reckless ways. He wondered if that would be troublesome in the future.

Ahsoka awoke with a start. She blinked in surprise. The fog in her mind was gone and she felt much better. She struggled upright and looked around.

_The healing wing? What am I doing here?_

Suddenly, everything came back to her. Being kidnapped, brought to Dooku, remembering her turn to the dark side...

Her turn to the dark side. Ahsoka almost wished she hadn't remembered.

"Ahsoka!" her Master sounded relieved. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Master," Ahsoka said softly, avoiding his gaze. "Just fine."

He didn't buy it. "What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you kill me during our fight on Mortis?" Ahsoka burst out. "It would have been better for everyone."

Anakin dropped his gaze. "How much do you remember?"

"Enough," Ahsoka said grimly. "I remember that I turned to the dark side and fought you. I remember how I didn't listen to you, even though you were only trying to help me. And I remember how I handed the Son the dagger that he used to stab his sister. Why didn't you kill me?"

Her Master looked her in the eye. "I think I need to clear something up. _You _didn't turn to the dark side. _The Son_ turned you to the dark side. You had no control over your actions."

"How do you know?" Ahsoka asked. "You weren't there when I turned."

"I saw the signs of a dark side spell," Anakin responded. "And I haven't ever met a Sith that acted like that."

"Dooku told me that the Son offered me great power and I accepted," Ahsoka said. "Remind me never to listen to him again."

Anakin's brow furrowed. "What else did he tell you?"

Ahsoka thought for a minute. "Well, he allowed me to remember up until the Son stabbed his sister, then told me I didn't need to remember any more. He told me you were about to leave when the Daughter offered to give me her life." Ahsoka closed her eyes. "It was my fault she was stabbed in the first place. But then she gave up her life for me?"

Anakin shook his head. "I think you need to see what happened for yourself."

Ahsoka stared at him. He had been against her remembering from the start. Why would he let her now?

Anakin smiled slightly. "I shouldn't have kept this from you, Ahsoka. I see that now."

He waved his hand and Ahsoka fell into her memories once again.

She landed in the Son's courtyard and looked around. Ahsoka found herself right where she had been when Dooku... interrupted her. Her dark self lay on the ground and the Son's gargoyle form was disappearing into the clouds.

Anakin ran forward and dropped to his knees beside Dark Ahsoka.

A very weird feeling came over Ahsoka as she looked down at her own dead body. She looked up as the Father pulled the dagger out of the Daughter's back and laid her on the ground. He looked at the dagger as if it were contaminated, then threw it away. "My daughter, what have I done?"

The Daughter looked at him weakly. "Do not hate him Father," she said. "It is his nature."

Ahsoka was amazed that the Daughter could be so calm, even in a time like that. If she now had the Daughter's power, did that mean she would have to behave like that?

Her Master was speaking and Ahsoka turned her attention back to the events unfolding. "Can you help her?" he asked the Father, gesturing to Dark Ahsoka's body.

The Father shook his head. "There is no light. Evil has been unleashed and the dark side shall consume her!"

Ahsoka waited for her Master to give up and leave, like Dooku said. But that moment didn't come.

"You must help her!" Anakin insisted.

"I cannot undo what is done," the Father said firmly. "There is no hope."

"Yes there is! There's always hope!" Ahsoka had never seen her Master so close to losing control of his emotions and it slightly scared her. This wasn't the Anakin Skywalker she knew.

The Daughter brushed her fingers against her Father's cheek. Then, with the other hand, she pointed at Dark Ahsoka's body. A silent conversation seemed to go on between them, then the Daughter nodded.

The Father stood, then motioned for Anakin to kneel between the Daughter and Dark Ahsoka.

Ahsoka watched curiously. _Could this be what Dooku meant about the Daughter transferring her life force to me? What does my Master have to do with that?_

"Then let my Daughter's last act be to breath life into your friend," the Father said as Anakin placed one hand on the Daughter's forehead and one on Dark Ahsoka's. The second he touched Dark Ahsoka, all three of them seemed to glow with a strange light.

Ahsoka shielded her eyes and watched as the Daughter seemed to go dimmer and dimmer while Dark Ahsoka glowed brighter and brighter. The Daughter and Dark Ahsoka lifted off the ground briefly, then Anakin released them and they dropped down again.

Dark Ahsoka didn't move. Even Ahsoka, who wasn't even really there, could sense a tension in the air until finally, the other Ahsoka jerked upright, coughing.

The ground shook under Ahsoka's feet and she fell again. She looked up to see Anakin- the real Anakin- looking at her.

"You remember the rest," he said.

Ahsoka nodded, but she had a question. "If I was really, you know,_ dead,_ how could I still remember that?"

Anakin looked thoughtful. "I'm guessing its because the Daughter would have remembered, so therefore you would, too."

"About that," Ahsoka said. "Now that I have the Daughter's Force power, will it be my responsibility to represent the light side?"

Anakin shook his head. "I don't think so. That would mean that there would have to be someone to represent the dark side and the Son is dead as well."

"Dooku lied to me," Ahsoka said. "He told me you saw that I was dead, and were going to leave, but you really saved my life."

"There was only one way I was leaving that tower Ahsoka, and that was if you were alive," Anakin said. "I didn't care what the Father thought at that point."

"You didn't answer my earlier question," Ahsoka said. "Why didn't you kill me? I know you could have, but you weren't even trying to fight."

"Would you have killed one of your friends?" Anakin asked quietly.

"No," Ahsoka said. "Never." She suddenly felt very tired.

"Get some rest," Anakin said, standing.

"Promise me you won't keep a secret like that from me again," Ahsoka said.

"I promise," Anakin said, turning to go.

Ahsoka had one more thing to say. "Master?"

He turned back. "Yeah?"

She smiled. "I don't really hate it when you call me Snips."

**No cliffhanger this time! Well, there are only one or two more chapters left. Please reveiw!**


	17. Dueling

**OK, we have reached the end of After the Storm! Shout out time to all my reveiwers! **

**Thanks to: Bluesaber3, PenAndInkPrincess, jedikim2424, StarWarsRocksMySocks, Yksin, Jedi Knight Niamh Rowa, san davis 687, echo4ver, livvixxx, skywalker02, StarWarsGirl112, Megan, Commenter, Bubbles975, a fellow jedi, girlblue36, sachariah, xander867, StarWarsGirl10, Ahsoka22, ennaj60, LadyDae, CrazySmallLady, Cnwriter, VegetarianCat, Felkelt, .Onryo., CG07, Red Sentient Kyburi, laloga and Soundwave-82. **

**I really loved getting reveiws from all of you and I hope you enjoy the last chapter.**

Night.

On Coruscant, it was never completely _dark;_ no, a trillion lights shone from the billions of buildings, making the whole planet seem to glow from space. But in an office in the Senate building, the whole room seemed to darken with the occupant's anger.

"You let them _get away!_" Darth Sidious hissed in rage, glowering at the hologram in from of him. He knew if he wanted to, he could destroy the whole office in his anger, but if course, the Jedi would become suspicious and that would never do.

Count Dooku shrank away. "My lord, the girl is more powerful than you thought, and Skywalker is a formidable force on his own-"

"I find it amusing that a fighter of your caliber was bested by a Padawan," Sidious said coldly.

Dooku bowed. "I am sorry, my Master. I did manage to poison her with a deadly chemical. It should finish what I could not."

"The girl is fine," Sidious snapped. "I have received word from a trustworthy source that she will make a full recovery."

"She refused to turn," Dooku said. If he was shocked by Sidious' news, he did not show it. "Her allegiance to the Jedi, and to her Master is very strong."

"And you had no success with Skywalker, either, then."

Even in the tiny hologram, Dooku's smile could be seen. "I nearly managed to turn him, Master. The Padawan interfered at the last second." He frowned. "Tano managed to overthrow the Force suppressing poison my lord. I thought that such a feat was impossible."

"It should be," Sidious mused. "I underestimated her. I will not do that again."

"What do you plan to do, my lord?"

Sidious thought for a minute. "Ahsoka Tano may prevent Skywalker's turn, but she may also be killed in the war before I am ready to carry out that particular phase. In the meantime, I will watch her progress carefully." His eyes glinted with malice. Twilight was falling on the Jedi Order...

Ahsoka awoke feeling much more like herself. She felt stronger and knew she could walk if she tried. Instinctively, she reached out to the Force, just to see if she really could. It worked and the power she felt was astounding.

_I'm never going to get used to this. _Did she really want all this power? Could she get rid of it if she didn't? _Why did this happen to me? What makes me different?"_

_Because you are the Padawan of the Chosen One. _

Did that mean her fate was intersected with Anakin's? Her mind travelled back to the vision she'd had on Mortis, the vision of her adult self. And the warning.

_You may never see your future if you remain his student..._

His student... she had definitely meant Anakin. But how was she in such danger by being his apprentice?

_Well, look what just happened. _But she got into scrapes like that all the time. Could the vision have meant a danger.. from Anakin himself?

_Now you're being ridiculous, _she scolded herself.

"Hey, Snips."

Ahsoka looked up to see her Master standing beside her bed. "Tell me I can get out of here," she said pleadingly.

Anakin nodded. "According to the Healer, I'm an inconsiderate Master who needs to be more mindful of his Padawan's health, but yeah, you're free."

Ahsoka grinned, banishing any thoughts of her earlier musings and they left the healing wing.

As they walked through the halls of the Temple, Rex suddenly came up to them. Ahsoka blinked in surprise. Clones didn't often enter the Temple; it was the Jedi sanctuary.

"Sir!" Rex said, saluting to Anakin. "We have a small situation."

"Yes?" Anakin said, immediately alert.

"Well..." Rex looked slightly uncomfortable. "It's about the... battle droid, sir." Another clone came into view, pushing a slightly scorched droid ahead of him.

448! Ahsoka had completely forgotten about him."What happened to him?" she asked. Sure, he had been been scorched when they left the burning factory, but not _that _bad.

"The battle droid decided it was going to help carry the boxes of ammunition off the cruiser," the trooper explained. "It's quite smart, for a clanker, but clumsy. It dropped the box of ammo and triggered it's blaster by accident." The clone winced. "The blaster fire hit the box and it exploded."

"Sir, we've been thinking," Rex said. "If this battle droid could be fixed up and reprogrammed to follow your orders, it could be very useful as a spy."

Anakin waved a hand dismissively. "Recycle it for spare parts."

448 looked as incredulous as a droid could look. "Spare parts? After all I've done to help you, you plan on turning me into spare parts? I do believe this particular Jedi needs to work on _gratitude._"

Anakin's hand crept toward his lightsaber.

"Master!" Ahsoka glared at him. "I don't know if you remember, but this candidate for the junk heap saved my life."

Anakin scowled. "Fine. Send it for reprogramming. And _make sure_ they strip it of its... attitude."

448 looked from Anakin to Ahsoka. He bowed to Ahsoka. "It was a pleasure to have met you, Jedi Ahsoka." He looked back at Anakin. "Though I can't say the same for you."

The clones pushed the droid away.

Ahsoka shook her head. "Master, what do you have against that droid, anyway?"

"Other than the fact that it's rude, an enemy, something that I cut to pieces almost daily and it talks too much?"

Ahsoka grinned, but it faded when she suddenly remembered something. Cut to pieces...

"My lightsabers!"

Anakin smiled, but Ahsoka didn't think anything was very funny at the moment.

"Relax," he said. "I... ran into the guy who bought them from the bounty hunter. I have them here."

Was it Ahsoka's imagination, or did a expression of guilt flicker across Anakin's face as he said that?

Anakin held out her lightsabers, but as she reached to take them, he pulled his hand away. "These weapons are your _life_, Ahsoka," he said. "You must take careof them."

Ahsoka was about to apologize when she saw the twinkle in her Master's eyes. "As you take care of yours?" she shot back, snatching the lightsabers.

They walked on in silence for a few minutes, then Ahsoka got an idea. "Lets spar, Master," she said.

"No," he said immediately. "You're recovering from a life threatening poison and I think you should take it easy for a while."

"We haven't had a match in ages," Ahsoka persisted.

Anakin turned to her and Ahsoka saw in his gaze that he remembered all too well what had happened the last time they had crossed lightsabers.

"I didn't mean..." she trailed off, staring at the ground.

Anakin forced a smile. "I suppose a small match wouldn't hurt."

Ahsoka glanced at him. As much as he claimed he had gotten over what had happened, she had a feeling that the memory was going to be with them both for a very long time.

As hard as he tried, he couldn't forget.

In every blow, he saw his Padawan's dark glare, in every parry, her taunts rang in his ears.

Anakin tried to bring himself back to their present battle, seeing Ahsoka's concerned look.

"Master, I've been winning for the last ten minutes and I'm not even trying."

Anakin forced himself to smile, though it felt like plastic, so he dropped it. "It isn't fair, you've got two lightsabers and I've only got one."

She gave him a knowing look. "I know what you're thinking."

"So, now you can read minds as well?"

Ahsoka glared at him and aimed a blow for his legs. "I'm affected by it too, you know. I am the one who started that duel. It's my fault we were ever fighting in the first place."

"It's my fault you were captured," Anakin countered. He hadn't thought that Ahsoka was thinking of Mortis at all, she was showing no emotion other than determination. He was slightly embarrassed that his Padawan had better control than he did. "It's my fault you were killed. I should have tried _harder_, I should have-"

"Master, it isn't your job to protect the galaxy," Ahsoka reminded him.

"Maybe not," Anakin agreed. "But it _is_ my job to protect _you._"

Ahsoka went silent for a minute, and Anakin thought he'd at least won the verbal battle. But then she asked a question that so completely caught him off guard that he almost fell over.

"What was bothering you the morning we left for Gavern?"

"The previous mission," Anakin lied after a moment. He didn't feel like sharing his vision just then.

"The truth, please," Ahsoka said, landing a blow to his leg and almost tripping him.

Anakin sighed. He had promised that he wouldn't keep anything like that from her. "I had a vision. It was about you."

"About me," Ahsoka repeated. She didn't look surprised.

"It was some kind of warning," Anakin said quietly. He decided then that he wouldn't tell her the man's words. _If you continue to train her, Ahsoka Tano will not live to become a Jedi Knight... _"I saw you, just as you looked after you had been poisoned."

There was an almost audible click as Ahsoka made the connection. Her eyes lit up in understanding. "I had a vision as well," she said, then went silent. A kind of mask slid over her face and Anakin knew she would not tell him anymore.

"You know, Master, you won't be able to protect me forever," she said after a moment. "Eventually, you are going to have to let me go."

Anakin didn't like where this conversation was going. It was his turn to be silent. He deactivated his lightsaber and Ahsoka did the same.

_Why are you so afraid of loss?_ She hadn't sent that to him through the Force, but she was broadcasting her thoughts so loud, Anakin was almost surprised the whole Temple hadn't heard.

"I'll tell you some other time, Snips," he said out loud earning a startled look from Ahsoka.

"Sorry, Master, I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright," he reassured her.

"My new Force abilities," she muttered. "You've never been able to pick up on my thoughts before."

"You don't want them," Anakin stated.

"I can't get rid of them, though," she said.

"They do have their uses," Anakin said. "I've only met one other person who could block Dooku's attack like you did, and that's Master Yoda."

Ahsoka offered him a smile. "I guess that's true. Someone needs to be around to save you from the dark side."

Anakin took on a serious expression. "I'm sorry about that, Ahsoka. I almost gave into it there, I _would_ have if you hadn't stopped me."

For the first time, a shadow crossed her face. "Promise me you will never turn to the dark side, Master."

He sensed there was more behind her words than she was letting on and nodded. She continued to look at him, and for a second, her eyes took on a look of deep sorrow, the look of a person who had seen far too much suffering. Suddenly she looked as if she had aged years.

He blinked and the look vanished. The Ahsoka he knew was back.

"Another match?" she asked brightly.

Anakin activated his lightsaber in response.

**The End. **

**Well, I hope you enjoyed reading my story! Should I make a sequel, or leave it like this?**

**Please review!**


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